Isn't She Beautiful?
by Nerdywife91
Summary: Sherlock is having a hard time reacting to the news he gets from Molly when he comes home after two years.
1. Chapter 1

Two Years Previous:

"I don't want you to do this if this is some pity thing." Molly breathed heavily. She sat on his lap, legs wrapped around his waist, and ran her hands over his bare chest taking in everything she could before it was over. He didn't respond but just watched her. "Sherlock?"

"It's not pity." He ran a finger down her spin causing her to shiver. "It's not pity." He whispered again before swinging her under him. He hovered over her, their noses brushing against each other. "I'm going to miss you."

"I thought caring was a weakness?" She still couldn't process everything that was happening.

"It is."

Molly kept her eyes closed, trying to remember as much about the previous night as she could. The way he smelled, how his chest heaved as he sank into her, the smile he gave her as she tightened around him, how perfectly their bodies fit together as they cuddled after.

She rolled over and found the only thing on the other side of the bed was a note.

_ Molly,_

_ Thank you._

_ ~ Sherlock_

"Good-bye Sherlock Holmes."

Present:

Molly shuffled down the hall to the locker room. It had been a long day and she hadn't slept well the night before.

"Have a good night Molly." A coworker passed her.

"You too." She managed a half smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She walked over to her locker, mind completely on the things she had to finish that night, and opened it. She looked up into the mirror that hung on the small door and gasped. She spun around on her heals. She looked him up and down three times before speaking.

"Sherlock!" She squealed and practically threw her arms around his neck. He was hesitant but hugged her back. "Sorry, sorry!" She stepped back, her whole face lit up.

"Molly Hooper." He gave a small smile when he said her name. "You look…well."

"There is no need to lie, I know how I look!" She laughed. "But you, you do look well."

"Well it is nice to be back in London." He took a step towards her as her mobile rang.

"Sorry! I have to get that." Her face flushed, embarrassed.

"The world goes on." He nodded. She nodded back and grabbed her mobile, looking at who was calling.

"Hello?...Can you give me a minute? I'll call you right back." She hung up and stared angrily at her mobile. "I actually have to go, but, it was good to see you." She shook her head. "No, it was great! I mean, I'm glad you're alright. Of course I knew you were alive I helped you, just -" Sherlock leaned down and kissed her cheek lightly, stopping her ramblings.

"It was good to see you too." He gave her another small smile and walked out of the locker room. She watched him go, wanting to run after him, knowing she couldn't. Instead she dialed the number she knew so well on her mobile.

"So what's going on?" Molly grabbed her things and shoved them in her bag. "Oh, yea, those are her favorites. I'll pick some up on the way home….I'm leaving right now."

Two Years Previous:

"No…no…no!" Molly sat on her couch crying. "He has to see me now!" When his secretary had declined her request again she threw her mobile on the ground. "Fine!" She tapped her foot anxiously. "No! He is going to see me now!" She picked up her mobile off the floor. She grabbed her purse off the hook next to the door and slammed the door of her flat closed behind her.

"I'm here to see Mr. Holmes." Molly stood in front of the secretary she had most likely been talking to on the phone.

"Mr. Holmes is busy at the moment. But you can make an appointment." She talked into her magazine. Molly rolled her eyes at the girl and walked around the desk, towards his office. "Miss! You can't go back there!" Molly closed the office door in the girl's face.

"Molly." He only looked half as surprised as Molly thought he would.

"Mycroft." She sat down in the chair across from him. "I need to talk to you about Sherlock."

"You know I can't do that. He is supposed to be dead and you are supposed to move on."

"Mycroft, this is important."

"I'm being seriously Molly, I can't."

"But I don't know what to do!"

"About what?" He folded his hands on his desk.

"I really need to talk to Sherlock!" She bounced her legs and ran her hands through her tangled hair.

"I think you should leave Molly. And forget about Sherlock." He got up and proceeded to try and pull her out of her chair.

"I can't!" She tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"And why not? The rest of London has and it's only been a month."

"Because I'm pregnant." Mycroft dropped his hands.

Present:

"Mummy!" Molly was greeted by her daughter as soon as she walked through the door.

"Mina!" She put her stuff down on the ground and scooped her daughter up. "I missed you!" She kissed the little girl all over her face, making her giggle.

"Kathy and I drew today!" She pointed to the coffee table where her nanny sat.

"Good for you." She gave her one last kiss on the head and sat her down. "How was she?"

"Good, as always." Kathy stood up and put her books in her bag. Molly stared down at Mina with a sad look. "Molly, are you okay?"

"Oh, yea, just a busy day. Thank you again." Kathy nodded her head and started for the door. "Oh, did Mycroft get you -"

"Yes, and as always, thank you to both of you. I would watch her for nothing. You know that, right?"

"Yes." Kathy left and shut the door behind her quietly. Molly sunk down on the couch and watched as Mina continued to draw on an already too full page.

"This is for you!" She held up the scribbles with a big grin on her face.

"Oh, thank you! I'll hang it in my office at work." Molly slid the drawing in her bag, temporarily forgetting about Sherlock being back.

Two Years Previous:

"Oh." Mycroft motioned for Molly to sit back down. "I didn't know you two were involved."

"We weren't." Molly sighed; feeling her cheeks getting warm she looked down at her hands. "It was just the one time."

"Oh." Mycroft smirked a little. "Are you sure it's Sherlock's?"

"Yes!" Her head shot up, irritated that Mycroft would insinuate that she would sleep around.

"Okay." He held his hands up, as if the mere act would calm her. "I just wanted to make sure."

"It's Sherlock's." She said again. "And, I just thought…I don't know what I thought." She dropped her head into her hands, hiding the few tears that were escaping from her eyes.

"You know I can't tell him."

"I know." She whispered. She wiped her eyes and looked back up. She straightened her shoulders and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I just needed to tell someone. Someone who knew that he was alive. I needed someone to know." Mycroft pursed his lips at her words.

"Are you going to keep it?"

"Yes." She replied quickly.

"Then alright, congratulations Miss Hooper."

"Thank you." She pushed herself up and turned for the door.

"Molly, I think it best if you and I had no more contact." She left without responding.

Present:

"Did Mina draw that for you?" Molly turned and saw John standing in her office doorway.

"Yes." She rubbed her forehead. "I assume you are here because you know I helped Sherlock."

"Yes." He sat down in her spare chair, but stood right back up again, gripping the back of the chair until his knuckles were red. "How could you not tell me? After everything you and I have been through together? I was there for you for your whole pregnancy but you kept this a secret from me? The fact that my best friend was still ALIVE!"

"Are you done?" Molly asked as John breathed heavily through his nose.

"Yes!" He dropped down into the chair and groaned.

"Mina just got done with her temper tantrum stage, looks like you might have found it." Molly giggled at him and John couldn't help but chuckle back. "In all honesty John, I couldn't tell you. I am sorry."

"I know you couldn't. And I know you are." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I heard you were almost smoked to death."

"Yea, not that much fun."

"It wouldn't have made for a pretty corpse either." Molly smirked.

"Thanks for that!" He threw a piece of paper at her he found on the ground. "Are you coming tonight? Mrs. Hudson is making dinner for everyone."

"Maybe." She hadn't been planning on it. Sherlock didn't know about Mina yet and she knew that when he saw her he would know.

"Please do, Mary is having Mina withdrawals."

"Okay."

"Hey Kathy!" Molly spun in her office chair. "Do you think you can bring Mina to Bart's around 5?...Thank you so much...We were invited to have dinner with John and Mary…yes, Mina withdrawals…Okay, see you soon."

"Who are you seeing soon?" His dark voice stirred something in the pit of her stomach. She inhaled slowly and turned her chair to face him.

"Sherlock! What are you doing here?" She put her mobile on the desk and stood up, walking around to lean on the front of it, blocking Mina's picture.

"New body Lestrade wanted me to have a look at." Molly couldn't help but just stare at his lips as they moved, it had been a long two years and she hadn't realized it until now. "Would you mind?" He pointed to the morgue.

"Oh, yea!" She snapped out of her head and moved around him. She found the body and the paper work on it. She rolled out the body for Sherlock, male, 52. "Here you go." As he started to work on the body, she turned to leave, remembering how he liked his privacy on these things.

"Please stay." He was bent over the body, examining something on the arm.

"Okay." Molly stopped and slid up onto a stool that was next to the counter. She couldn't help herself, as she watched him move, the way his hair would fall into his eyes when he looked down, she started remembering the way it felt to touch him. The way he moved when he was above her. The way that he –

"Molly?" Sherlock stood in front of the body with the bag zipped up again.

"Mhm?" She brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, hoping the red on her cheeks would dissipate.

"All done. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Molly was taken aback by it. "Just doing my job and letting you do yours." Her mobile went off in her pocket. She grabbed it, a text from Kathy saying they were in the lobby – they would be to the morgue any minute. "Okay, well, lots of paper work to do before tonight." She swung her arms awkwardly at her side.

"Did Mrs. Hudson invite you to dinner?" Sherlock's tone sounded off, but she couldn't tell why.

"Yes. We'll be there…I'll, I'll be there. We will be there." She pointed between herself and Sherlock, mentally wanting to slap herself.

"Okay. Thank you again." He left the morgue with a confused looked on his face, something new Molly hadn't seen before.

Molly had just enough time to roll the body back and make it to her office before Kathy brought Mina in.

"Hey! There's my girl!" Mina ran around the desk and jumped up into her mum's lap.

"Kathy gave me a lolly!" Mina held out the blue candy, as if it were gold.

"I hope that was okay." Kathy handed over the bag with Mina's stuff in it.

"Of course. Thank you for bringing her here. Do you need fare?" Molly grabbed her purse.

"No! You and Mycroft give me enough money as is. Have fun tonight!" Kathy ran out of the office before Molly could force the money on her.

"John and Mary?" Molly sat her daughter on the desk facing her.

"Yes, we are going to have dinner with them tonight. And Mrs. Hudson."

"Mrs. Hudson!" Mina squealed in delight.

"Lestrade too." Mina bounced her little feet. "Mina, would you like to meet a new friend of mummy's?" Molly's eyebrows were raised together.

"New friend?" She mimicked Molly.

"Yes. His name is Sherlock."

"Sher-lock?" Mina's tiny voice went up on the last syllable of his name.

"He solves crimes."

"Like Lestrade?" Mina licked the lolly.

"Yes, like Lestrade." Molly kissed her tiny daughter. "I need to finish some paper work and then we can go, okay?" Mina bobbed her head up and down.

One year and six months previous:

"Mycroft?" Molly stood at the door of her flat, wrapped in a blanket that barely covered her belly. "It's one in the morning."

"I know. I just needed to speak with you. May I come in?" Molly moved aside and let him in. She motioned to the couch and Mycroft sat. She took the chair across from him.

"Why are you here? I thought you didn't want to have contact with me." Molly shifted in her seat, as the baby kicked her ribs.

"I have been thinking a lot about you and your baby." Mycroft cleared his throat. "Without Sherlock all I have are my parents."

"Okay?" Molly asked when he paused.

"I want to be in the baby's life. If that is okay with you."

"Well, you are her uncle." Molly rubbed at the spot she had just kicked.

"You're having a girl?" Mycroft's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Yes." Molly smiled; she couldn't wait to have a little one running around in little fluffy dresses.

"I also…I bought you a house." Mycroft held out a set of keys to Molly.

"You what?!" All of the sleep was out of Molly's eyes as she looked at the shiny keys in front of her face.

"I want to help you financially. I will never have a family of my own and I have more money than one person really needs." He continued to hold the keys out to her.

"Mycroft, I can't accept this." Molly pushed his hand away.

"You are just going to have to accept it." He left the keys on the side table when he stood up. "I have also hired you a moving crew who will help you pack all of your things and move all of the boxes for you. They will be here next week." With that he left.

"Well," Molly picked up the keys, talking to her belly. "This could be worse."

Present:

As Molly and Mina arrived at 221B Baker Street all of the reporters where leaving and she could see John and Sherlock heading back up to the flat.

"Uncle John! Uncle John!" Mina chanted as Molly pushed the door open. She took a deep breath before she ascended the stairs. At the top of the stairs she slowly pushed the door open.

"Molly! Finally! I was beginning to think Sherlock and John were lying to me." Mrs. Hudson got up and gave Molly a small squeeze. "Oh Mina, you are getting big!" Molly looked around the room and gave Mina over to Mrs. Hudson and Mary. John and Lestrade sat in the chairs, but Sherlock was nowhere to be seen.

"Where, where is Sherlock?" Her voice caught in her throat. She hung her coat on the last empty hook and sat Mina's bag on the ground before closing the door.

"Right here." He walked in from the kitchen, wearing the deerstalker hat.

"For goodness sake, take that thing off!" John chuckled at him.

"Molly." He smiled and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She gave him a worried look as he tossed the hat to John.

Molly motioned for Mina to come to her. She picked up her daughter and turned to face him. "Sherlock, this is my daughter, Mina. Mina this is mummy's friend Sherlock, can you say hi?"

"Hi." She batted her long eye lashes at him as he stared speechless at the little girl in Molly's arms. Her hair was dark and curly. She had Molly's eyes and smile, there was no mistaking that, but her face, her defined cheek bones, those were _his_.

"Hi." He finally managed. "Molly, can I talk to you a minute?" Without waiting for her response he walked to his bedroom.

"Mina, go see Uncle John." Molly put the girl on the floor.

"What's wrong?" John asked as Mina settled on his lap. Molly shrugged and turned, following after Sherlock. She walked past him and into his bedroom; he closed the door behind them.

"Sherlo- " He held up his hand stopping her from speaking. He just stood staring at her, looking her up and down.

"How did I miss it? It is written all over you. You're a mother."

"Yes. I'm a mother." She sat down on the edge of his bed.

"She is a year and three months?" Sherlock hadn't removed his hand from the handle.

"Almost four months – she was a little early."

"Mina is short of Willamina, I presume?" He continued to stand with his hand on the door handle.

"Yes." Molly fidgeted with the bottom of her blouse.

"And Willamina is the feminine form of William, which must be from her father's side." Sherlock rambled on, sounding less and less like himself.

"Yes." Her voice quieter than before.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He let his hand fall from the handle, walked over, and sat down next to Molly.

"Mycroft said we shouldn't have contact with you." Tears started to cloud her vision.

"Mycroft knows she's….mine?" She had never seen him so out of his element.

"Mycroft is very involved with her. She doesn't know that he is her real uncle, but that's how she sees him." Molly picked at her nails as a few tears fell. "Sherlock, I should have told you that day in the locker roo-."

"I don't want to be a father." He interrupted her.

"I didn't ask you to be." Molly spat back, insulated that he thought that was all she wanted. She wiped away the tears angrily. "I just thought you should know she existed."

"This is how you thought I should find out?" Sherlock clenched and unclenched his fists.

"They don't you're the dad." She ignored his question.

"Obviously; not clever enough." He snorted, sounding more like himself.

"John, Mary, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson, they care a great deal about her!" She could feel the tears coming again.

"Yes, I can see they really do." Sarcasm coating his words. "They can't even see what's in front of their faces!"

"At least they were there!" She was mad and hurt and couldn't think properly.

Molly pushed away from the bed, but Sherlock's hand caught her wrist. He pulled her back to him and she stood between his knees. The height of the bed caused them to be face to face while Sherlock remained seated.

He wiped the tears away from her face.

"I didn't know." He reminded her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be angry with you for something that you had no control over." She breathed in through her nose, catching his sent, her mind rushing back to the night two years ago, while she struggled to stay in the moment.

"Nor should I you."

"I don't except anything from you."

"Good."

"I just needed you to know she was here, and she is amazing and wonderful and so full of life and if you only got to – "

He brushed his lips across hers, softly and all too fast for Molly's liking. He let go of her and stood up, causing her to step back.

"I don't want to be a father." He said it again, sounding more like he was convincing himself than her.

"Okay." Molly moved around him and placed her hand on the door. "You don't have to be her father, but I promise you, you will want to be her friend. She's amazing and a lot like you at times." She opened the door, ending the conversation between the two of them.

"Mummy! Uncle John said I could have ice cream for dinner!" Mina sat in Mary's lap playing with cards.

"Oh did he? Well, Uncle John was wrong." Molly sat down on the floor next to John's chair and hit him in the leg. She watched as Sherlock silently walked to his chair and sunk down in it, his eyes on her. She tried to keep her face neutral and couldn't tell if she was succeeding at it or not.

"But, Uncle John is never wrong." Mina's big brown eyes glassed over, looking like she was going to cry.

"Willamina, do not even think about making a fuss. You are going to eat dinner like everyone else here and then you can have ice cream." Molly's voice changed, causing Sherlock to set up straighter. Mina pouted, but didn't say anything else.

"Molly's mum voice." John said to Sherlock, who he had noticed had fixed his posture. "Makes us all behave, at first." The rest of them laughed as Sherlock tried to relax back into his slouch. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Come on, I've got the roast out!" Mrs. Hudson called them all to the kitchen.

"Mummy, can I sit next to Mary?" Mina's eyes shown up at her like little stars, she was really hard to say no to.

"If Mary wants you to sit next to her." Molly wiggled her nose against Mina's, feeling Sherlock's watchful eyes on them.

"Of course I do!" Mary took the girl out of Molly's arms and plopped her in the seat that Mrs. Hudson had gotten for her. Mary sat on one side of Mina and Molly on the other, unfortunately, right next to Sherlock. Molly did her best to ignore him, but it was hard when all he would look at was her, Mina, or his food.

"Mina, I did teach you how to work a fork, now please do use it." Molly gently asked, as the conversation continued around the two of them

"Fingers are more fun!"

"Mina. Just use your fork." Molly finished with a sigh. She was ready to get this night over with and her daughter was not helping.

"But I don't want to." She continued to pick at her food.

"Willamina. I already asked you nicely to use your fork."

"No." Mina sounded as if she was mimicking Sherlock and it was wearing on Molly's nerves.

"Willamina Scotia Hooper." The table fell silent as the girl's full name was used. Molly looked around as five sets of eyes watched her. John raised his eyebrows. It had become his way of asking Molly if she wanted him to step in and give a male approach. She nodded yes.

"Mina, your mother asked you to use your fork." John looked at the little girl.

"But, I don't want to." Molly really wished she hadn't got the stubborn gene from Sherlock.

"Mina. Use your fork." John said forcefully.

"But."

"Use your fork." John said again. Mina scrunched up her face and picked up her fork. Molly smiled gratefully at John as Mrs. Hudson and Mary picked up their conversation right where they left it.

"Does John do that much?" Sherlock said to Molly so only she could hear.

"Mhm?" She questioned around a bite of food.

"Does he help you…parent?" He scrunched up his face much like Mina's.

"Oh, sometimes. John has been a big help with raising her."

A year and six months previous:

"Wow! This place is great!" It was the day after the movers had brought all of Molly's stuff and the only thing set up was her bed.

"It is, but I have no clue how to set up house." Molly sat on the couch with her feet propped up on a box. John turned to her and she gave him a look.

"Oh. Oh no! I don't know how to do this either!" He backed up a few paces, arms out in front of him.

"Well who else am I supposed to ask?" All of her family was a good four hours away.

"Not me!" John spat back. They were both quiet for a minute, thinking. "Mrs. Hudson?" He offered.

"Do you think she would mind?" Molly didn't want to be an inconvenience.

"No. I'll ring her."

"Thank you both so much!" Molly, John, and Mrs. Hudson sat in Molly's fully decorated and set up living room. It had taken them a few weeks, but the house was fully moved into.

"Oh it was nothing!" Mrs. Hudson beamed. "As long as you promise me that I get to see that baby growing up here!"

"Oh, yes! I am going to need both of you!" She grabbed their hands and squeezed them.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" John asked. Molly nodded.

"What do you think of…Willamina Scotia Hooper?"

"It's perfect." John nodded.

Present:

After dinner Mina got her ice cream as Molly had promised. And after the ice cream the girl snuggled with her 'Uncle' Lestrade and nodded off in his arms. Molly couldn't bear to wake her up yet, she looked so adorable and she was enjoying the adult conversation for once. Until Sherlock started being a prat.

"I don't understand why it matters!" He sniped at John.

"Because it bloody does." Lestrade added from the corner.

"And because if – " John started but was interrupted by Sherlock's hand in his face.

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't matter!" He crossed his arms and sunk into his chair seething.

"Yes, it does!" John said back.

"No."

"Yes.

"No!"

"I have not missed this!" John threw his hands in the air, but Sherlock ignored him. "You are acting like a two year old." John sighed and sat down in his chair, across from where Lestrade was. He glanced at Mina then dropped his gaze to the floor, rubbing his head like a crazy man. He slowly stopped his movements and let his arm fall into his lap as he looked back up at Mina. He stared at her with an odd look.

"What's wrong?" Molly asked worried.

"Or maybe he is acting more like a one year old." Molly stared wide eyed at John.

"I am not acting like anything!" Sherlock spat.

"You know who else throws temper tantrums like that, just like that?" John pointed at Mina. "And when they don't get their way, pout, just like that?" John looked back at Sherlock, who sat up straighter. "And who else loves the word 'no' just as much?"

"John, look, I didn't, I couldn't – " Molly fumbled for words.

"Molly, where did Mina get her dark curly hair from?" John snapped his head towards Molly.

"John." Molly was at a loss.

"You lied to me." Molly looked down at her hands, not being able to hold his gaze any longer. "For two years you told me the father was a guy you had a small fling with. He got called away for work and you had no way to contact him." He wasn't yelling, but Molly could feel the disappointment.

"It really wasn't a lie." Molly whispered.

"Sherlock. Sherlock is the father." Lestrade shook his head in disbelief.

"You knew it right when you saw her, didn't you? That's what earlier was all about." Mary asked.

"It's hardly a secret when you look at her." Sherlock's voice filled with ice.

"I'm sorry. Mycroft – "

"It really is all beginning to make a little more sense." John gave a laugh. Molly felt the sting of tears in her eyes and tried to blink them away. "How did we miss it? He looked around the room at the rest of the group.

"You didn't want to see it." Molly bounced on the edge of the couch. "Remember the day she was born? When you held her for the first time, you said, 'Look at those cheekbones! She looks just like…she's beautiful.' And then you smiled at me." The room was so silent, they could hear Mina's breathing. They all jumped at Molly's ringtone, except Sherlock. She dug the mobile out of her pocket. "Hello?" Molly excused herself and closed the door of the flat behind her.

"Molly, you must still be in town. You didn't pick up at home."

"Hi Mycroft. Yes I am." She sat down on the top stair and could hear the conversation starting in the living room again.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Actually, yea, that would be great." Molly rubbed at a stain on her knee.

"Where are you?"

"Umm, I'm at…221BBakerStreet." She rushed.

"Did you just say 221B Baker Street?"

"I'm at Sherlock's." She admitted.

"Okay. I'll be there in five minutes." He hung up without saying goodbye, which was normal. Molly slid her mobile in her pocket. The door of the flat opened and Mary came out.

"Hi." She sat down next to Molly.

"Are you mad at me too?" Molly could feel the tears again.

"No." Mary gave her a smile. "And I get why you didn't say anything. And John, well look how fast he forgave Sherlock."

"But – "

"But Sherlock isn't half as cute as Mina, who has John wrapped around her little finger."

"She really does." The two laughed at how easily John could be persuaded by the little girl.

"Now come on, they've moved on to cases." Mary pulled Molly up and dragged her back into the flat. Sherlock was sitting in his chair across from Lestrade, just staring at Mina as the three of them bickered back and forth. Molly watched as he studied her like he did a crime scene, taking in everything he could.

"Molly." She hadn't even noticed John walk over to her. "I should have waited and asked you in private."

"It's okay. I probably should have told you, but it was just so com – "

"Complicated." He nodded several times. "Nothing changes okay." He kissed her cheek and went to sit with Mary on the couch.

"Thank you." She said to the two of them. "I have to go, Mycroft is taking us home and he will be here any minute."

"Mycroft?" Sherlock's voice was coated with venom for his older brother.

"Ah, yes. He is taking us home. I have to go." Molly avoided eye contact with Sherlock by putting on her coat and looping Mina's bag over her shoulder. Lestrade stood up and handed the girl off to Molly. She barely stirred as she was situated on her mother's shoulder.

"Girl sleeps like a rock." Lestrade joked.

"Sounds familiar." Sherlock's snide comment had Molly's eyes burning even more.

"Good night." Molly addressed the rest of the room and fled the flat as fast as she could. She felt the door catch as she tried to close it. She turned to see Sherlock's fingers curling around the edge of the door.

"Be right back, need a word with my brother." Sherlock gave an air of lightness, but Molly knew it was a façade. "Can I walk you down, Molly?"

"Looks like I don't have a choice." She turned and started her way down the stairs, slowly. Molly was clumsy on a good day and even worse on a bad day, caring her child down stairs.

"Here." Sherlock stepped in front of her and slid Mina out of her arms and into his before Molly could object. He walked down the stairs just as gracefully as normal and still beat her to the bottom by half a stair case.

When Molly reached the bottom of the stairs she couldn't stop the tears from falling. One look at Mina sleeping in Sherlock's arms, _her father's _arms, did her in. She turned away from Sherlock and took a few steading breaths, wiping away the tears.

"Molly." He stood right behind her. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well you did!" She gave up on trying to clear away the tears and turned back to face him. "When you met me in the locker room and then earlier today in the morgue, I thought you had changed. Not that I was expecting you to want us, but…" Molly stopped shouting as Mina stirred in Sherlock's arms.

"Mummy?" She rubbed her eyes. "Are we going home?"

"Yes. Uncle Mikey is taking us home." She wiped at her tears again.

"Uncle Mikey." Sherlock laughed at the thought, but stopped short when Molly gave him an icy glare.

"Mummy, why are you sad?" Mine reached her tiny hand out and touched Molly's face.

"I'm not sad honey, I just have something in my eye." Molly wiped away the last few tears and gave her daughter a smile. "See? All better!" She reached out and took Mina from Sherlock and hoisted the little girl up on her hip.

"Sherlock?" He flicked his eyes away from Molly's face and down into Mina's. "Mummy says you solve crimes."

"Yes."

"Are there dead bodies at crimes, like at mummy's work?" Molly shook her head as Sherlock gave the little girl a genuine smile.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, when your mother is a pathologist and your fa – " Molly cleared her throat and continued. "Well you can see that even at one nothing really scares her." She saw Mycroft's car pulling up. "Thank you for...an evening." She gave him a tight smile and opened the door when the car stopped, putting Mina in her seat that was permanently in Mycroft's car. Mycroft emerged from the other side.

"Sherlock. I see you've met Mina." A sadistic smile sat on his lips.

"Yes. I have." Molly closed the door and turned in time to watch Sherlock punch Mycroft in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

One year and five months previous:

"Miss Molly Hooper, look at you!" Greg Lestrade strolled into the morgue just as Molly was finishing with another body.

"Yes, look at me." She said grumpily as she ripped off her gloves and threw them away.

"Oh." Lestrade could tell he hit a nerve. "Molly, you look great. Pregnancy suits you. Really, it does."

"Than-n-kk yo-u—you." She stuttered between sobs. Lestrade stood staring for a moment not sure what to do.

"Molly?" He started, but her sobs got louder. He took a step closer and she started shaking from crying so hard. He decided to forgo all good judgment and gathered her in his arms.

It was the first real amount of contact they had ever shared. They had always worked well together when Lestrade needed a favor. They liked each other well enough and had found more annoying people to deal with.

He held her and rubbed her arms, trying to sooth her. She felt awful that she was getting the front of his shirt snotty, but he wouldn't let her go until she had stopped shaking.

"You okay?" He asked stepping back. She nodded her head, sniffling. He saw some tissues on the counter and handed Molly several. She cleaned off her face and blew her nose hard.

"Thanks." She said, giving her nose one last wipe. "Sorry about your shirt."

"No big deal." He shrugged it off. "But really, are you okay?"

"Oh, just as okay as a single, seven month pregnant woman can be." She closed her eyes and steadied herself, not wanting to break down again.

"Listen, I know we aren't that close, but if you ever need anything, just let me know." Lestrade gave Molly a quick hug and continued on to the reason he had come to visit her in the first place.

Present:

"OH MY GOSH! SHERLOCK!" Molly steadied Mycroft as he stumbled backwards.

"That's how you thank me for taking care of them?" Mycroft said behind his hand which was catching most of the blood running from his nose. Sherlock reached down and tore a piece of his shirt off.

"Here." He handed it to Mycroft and turned to go back inside. Molly hurried after him, grabbing his arm before he opened the door.

"Sherlock, wait!" She turned him to face her. He stared down at her with dark eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it and reached for his hand instead. She looked at his knuckles – they were going to bruise. "That's going to hurt in the morning." He pulled his hand out of her grasp and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her against his body. Molly's mind went into overdrive being that close to him again.

"It was worth it." His other hand cupped the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers urgently. All Molly could think about as his tongue swept over her lips and teeth was that she wanted more. She reached her hands up into his hair, securing him to her. As he sucked on her lips, she ran her fingers through his soft curls…his curls that were the same as Mina's. _Mina. Mina!_

She pulled her head back and pushed him away from her. He lost his balance and stumbled backwards into the building. She wiped her mouth off with a shaky hand. She was at her limit tonight and she could not deal with him any longer.

"Molly – " He took a step towards her, but she held up her hand.

"I can't Sherlock. You told me you didn't want to be a father."

"I don't see – "

"It's not just me anymore. I have Mina to think about." She turned away from him and walked to the other side of the car, getting in without giving him another look.

Mina was asleep in the car before Molly had even gotten in. They sat in silence as Molly stared out the window watch the city go by.

"That went well." Mycroft still had a smug smirk on his face.

"You don't have to take care of us."

"What are you talking about?" He wiped at his nose as it started to bleed again.

"You asked Sherlock if that was how he thanked you for taking care of us."

"Oh, that had nothing to do with you." He dismissed her comment.

"I would have been just fine on my own." She replied.

"Yes, but you wouldn't live in that house or have Kathy as a nanny without me." There was no way Molly could refute that. "It doesn't matter anyway, that was just stuff between brothers." She rolled her eyes at his idiocy.

"What did you need anyways? Why did you call?" They were close to Molly's house.

"It really doesn't matter now." Molly just nodded as the car stopped. She was too tired to push the issue.

One year and three and a half months previous:

"Good morning Molly!" Lestrade plopped down in the extra chair in her office.

"Morning." She replied tiredly.

"Late night?" He picked at the corner of the desk.

"More like long night. Eight and a half months pregnant, I have to pee every other hour at least, and there is no comfortable way to lay." She closed the file on her desk. "But I suppose you are here about the Jane Doe."

"I am." He agreed.

"Alright." Molly stood up and started walking around the desk but stopped, looking shocked.

"What? What's wrong?" Lestrade asked worriedly.

"My water just broke. Three weeks early. No. This is too early. Three weeks too early." Molly leaned on her desk. "She can't come today. No."

"Molly, your water just broke, we need to get you up stairs. You are having your baby." Lestrade reached out his hand to her. "Okay?" She nodded yes and took hold of his arm. He led her to the elevator and took her up to the fourth floor.

"Molly! Good to see you!" A perky nurse behind the counter greeted the two of them.

"Could you page Dr. John Watson? My water broke." The nurse's smile broke out into a grin.

"I didn't know Dr. Watson was delivering babies now."

"He's not. I just need him. I'll be over here, waiting for my room." She walked over to the wall of chairs and sat down.

"Do I need to call anyone else for you?" Lestrade looked completely out of his element.

"Here." She gave him her mobile. "Call Mrs. Hudson and tell her my water broke and that she is welcome to come if she isn't busy. Also, can you call my parents? They should know sooner than later so they can start the four hour drive here."

"Yea, I can do that. Are you going to be okay by yourself for a little while I make the calls?" She nodded her head. "Okay." He got up leaving her by herself.

"Okay. I can do this." She breathed in slowly. "We can do this." She told her belly. She rubbed her hands over her stomach. "Oh Sherlock, where are you?" She whispered as she let a tear roll down her cheek.

Present:

It had been a month since Sherlock's return and things were not getting better between the two of them. He was short worded and mean when he came to the lab and avoided eye contact with her. After five cases like this Molly had to say something to John. From that point on Sherlock was relatively quiet when he came into the morgue.

"Molly did you get the call?" Lestrade stormed into the lab, anger written all over his face.

"I did. The body is ready for him." She nodded to the last one at the end. "I have to start on this one, but feel free to look that one over."

Sherlock walked into the morgue, slowly. He walked past Molly, his eyes lingering longer than Molly thought they should have. On the man she was working on, the heart was the next thing to be cut out, a rather ironic situation, she thought.

"Where's John?" Lestrade looked behind Sherlock, as if John would be hiding there.

"Something about lunch with Mary. Is this the body?" Sherlock motioned to the corpse.

"Yea." Lestrade stepped out of the way and let Sherlock take over. A few seconds later Lestrade's mobile rang. "Hello?..Shit…Now?...On my way."

"Something wrong?" Sherlock hated being interrupted.

"I have to go, call me when you have something." Lestrade walked away from Sherlock and over to Molly. "I'm sor – "

"Before you go, Mina drew you a picture. It's on my desk. Grab it on the way out." Molly didn't need him to make this any more awkward than it was. After a while Molly forgot Sherlock was there and just concentrated on the job at hand. When she was finally finished with the body she noticed Sherlock sitting in the corner, watching her.

"You know you talk to yourself when you work?"

"Yes. That's why I prefer an empty morgue." She cleaned up her work area and wheeled both bodies away.

"I feel like our current arrangement is making working together difficult." Sherlock was straight faced as he spoke.

"I...our current…difficult?!" Molly stammered, shaking her head at him. She gathered the paperwork and headed back to her office. She heard his footsteps behind him.

"Molly, what I was…is that a dead goldfish?" He was staring at Mina's newest drawing. She decided to start covering her office in the pictures, hoping to keep Sherlock away – it wasn't working.

"Yes."

"Is that you?"

"Yes."

"Are you performing an autopsy on a gold fish?" He titled his head trying to understand the picture.

"Yes." Molly sat down at her desk, trying to ignore the bumbling idiot sitting across from her.

"Are – "

"Sherlock! She's not even a year and a half! The fact that she can draw me doing on autopsy on a goldfish is rather impressive to me!" She snapped at him.

"Knock, knock!" Mrs. Hudson stood in the doorway holding Mina's hand.

"Mrs. Hudson? What are you doing here?" Molly's mum radar went off on seeing her daughter. Mina ran around the desk and into Molly's arms.

"Kathy called me when you didn't answer your phone. She isn't feeling well and didn't think she should be around Mina right now."

"Oh." Molly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I picked her up from playschool and figured you wouldn't mind if I brought her here. I have plans, it is a Friday night you know." She winked at Molly. "Otherwise I would have taken her." Mrs. Hudson apologized.

"No, no, thank you so much!" Molly was beyond thankful for the people who cared for Mina.

"I better be going. See you later Sherlock!" Mrs. Hudson retreated out of view.

"Mummy, do you have any bodies you are working on?" Molly closed her eyes at the little girl.

"Not right now. But why don't you work on another drawing. Maybe for Aunt Mary?" Molly got the pencils out of her desk and handed them to Mina, who crawled down on the floor and began scribbling. "Really, what child wants to see dead bodies at her age?"

"Ours?" Sherlock whispered so Mina couldn't help.

"Not. Helping." Molly opened a report and started finishing it.

"By the way, I was trying to complement on the picture earlier."

"Oh." Molly gave him a half apologetic look before getting back to work, hoping he would take the hint and leave. But instead he sat in his chair watching Mina.

"Wanna draw with me?" Mina asked Sherlock. Molly watched him out of the corner of her eye. He blinked a few times and then nodded his head yes. Molly's jaw almost dropped off her face as Sherlock Holmes laid on the floor and started drawing with her daughter. "Mummy doesn't like when I draw cu-orpses. She works with cu-orpses. I'm drawing her a flower."

"You are a very smart girl." Sherlock said to Mina.

"What's that?" Mina pointed to the brown blog on Sherlock's paper.

"It supposed to be a dog." He stared at it, probably realizes how bad it was. "But I'll admit this to you Mina, I have no artistic talent."

"Ar-tis-tic taa-lent?" Mina tilted her head just as Sherlock had done earlier.

"It means you can draw." He pointed to her flower. "You have artistic talent." Mina giggled and smiled at Sherlock.

One year and three and a half months previous:

"You did great Molly." John gave her a big hug after all the commotion had died down. "Didn't even take you that long." He joked.

"Thanks." She gave a tired laugh as she watch Mrs. Hudson holding her new born. "Isn't she perfect?"

"Oh Molly, she is gorgeous." Mrs. Hudson cooed at the baby.

"You sure did produce a cute little thing." Lestrade sat next to her, with a big grin too. "I have to go, but, call if you need anything."

"Oh, me too dear." Mrs. Hudson stood up and handed the tiny bundle off to Molly.

"Okay. See you two later." John sat moved to the chair next to Molly's bed. "Are you ready to hold her yet?" Molly asked.

"I don't know Molly. She's so small."

"John, you're a doctor. You're being ridiculous." Molly repositioned the little Mina in her arms and extended her to John. "Here, take her." He was hesitant at first, but couldn't keep the smile off his face as he cuddled the little girl against his chest.

"Look at those cheekbones! She looks just like…" John stared down at the baby in his arms and Molly knew what he was thinking. It was the first thing she thought when she saw her. Willamina looked like Sherlock. But she hoped he would overlook it and chalk it up to coincidence. "She's beautiful." And he did.

Present:

"Sherlock you should have dinner with us!" Mina bounced at Molly's side as the exited Bart's.

"Oh, I am sure Sherlock is very busy at the moment."

"No, I could."

"No, really, you are very busy. Good night, Sherlock." Molly's stony glare stopped him in his tracks.

"Bye Sherlock." Molly picked Mina up as they headed down the street. She could feel Mina waving her little hand behind her.

"Bye Mina." She heard Sherlock's voice faintly.

For the following week, every day at 2:45 Molly had to leave the morgue to go pick up Mina. And every day she would return at 3:10. And every day at 3:20 Sherlock would stroll into the morgue, claiming it was where he did his best thinking on cases (_since when? _Molly thought). And every day, by 3:40 Sherlock and Mina were locked in conversation, drawing or playing together.

But on Friday, there was a new body and a new case and Sherlock didn't show up. Molly watched as Mina kept looking at the doorway, waiting for him to walk in. Molly couldn't stand it any longer. The sad look on her daughter's face was breaking her heart and she couldn't even be mad at Sherlock because he was working. She finished the last report as fast as she could and called in, saying she was going home early, claiming she wasn't feeling well.

"Come on Mina. Let's go see Mary!"

"Mary?" Molly called as she tried the door to her and John's flat and it swung wide open. "You home?"

"Molly!" Mary walked out from the bedroom, still in her work clothes. "What are you two doing here?" She gave Molly a quick hug and Mina a kiss on the head.

"Mina, why don't you go play with some of your toys?" Molly pushed the little girl in the direction of the living room. There was a basket in the corner with some of Mina's things that Molly left here because Mina was here so often.

"What's wrong?" Mary asked as she guided Molly to the kitchen. She sunk down in the chair on the far side of the table so she could still keep an eye on Mina. Mary got busy making them a cup of tea.

"For the past week Kathy has been sick and Mina has spent the afternoons at the morgue with me."

"I heard, John told me." Mary got out the sugar and put it on the table.

"Sherlock's been there." Mary looked over at Molly like she was going crazy. "I mean, he has been there playing with her." She nodded in the direction of Mina. "She loves spending that time with him, but today he had a case and he didn't come and it broke her heart."

"I'm a little confused." Mary sat a cup in front of Molly. "Are you mad at Sherlock for having to work?"

"Oh, no!" Molly stirred some sugar into her tea. "But my heart broke watching Mina's break. I have never seen her so disappointed in her life."

"Oh come on. There must have been a time." Mary sipped her tea while Molly thought. "Just one time when you had to work late or something?"

"No. Never. I have never seen her look that disappointed."

"Oh Molly, that had to have been hard." Mary leaned over and patted Molly on the hand. "And now you're thinking you've made a horrible mistake letting Sherlock into her life?"

"Yes."

"Okay, you get to pick one." Molly stood in front of Mina who was dressed in her sleep wear, bouncing on the balls of her feet. In one hand Molly held a book and in the other the remote to the radio.

"MUSIC!" Mina started jumping up and down.

"Good choice!" Molly hit the play button and the living room filled with music. All of Molly's worries slipped her mind as she watched the girl jump and dance around with the biggest smile on her face, her curls bouncing all over her head. Molly couldn't help but dance along with her.

There was a knock on the door and Molly sighed, thinking it was going to be Mycroft. She was in no mood to argue with him again.

"Look Mycroft I'm – " She started as she opened the door but stopped when she saw Sherlock instead. "Sherlock."

"Were you expecting Mycroft?" He didn't wait to be invited in, just walked past her. Mina's already happy face lit up more seeing Sherlock.

"Sherlock!" She ran over and hugged his legs.

"Mina." He said affectionately as he patted the little girl's head.

"No, I wasn't expecting him. He is generally the only one who comes around this late." Molly paused the music. Sherlock looked at his watch.

"It's not that late." He dropped his coat on the couch.

"It is when you have a child whose bedtime with right now." Molly looked down at Mina, whose face fell.

"But Sherlock just got here!" She jutted out her bottom lip, pouting.

"I know, but it's still your bedtime." She picked up Mina. "Now say goodnight to Sherlock."

"Mummy can Sherlock come see my room first?" Mina's big brown eyes pleaded.

"If he wants to." Molly gave in and started for the stairs with Sherlock following behind her. At the top of the stairs Molly headed for the bedroom on the left, leaving Sherlock assuming that Molly's was one of the others to the right.

"Sherlock look! This is my bear that Uncle John got me for my birthday. He is my favorite!" She handed the fuzzy bear up to Sherlock and jumped into her bed. She had moved out of her cot earlier than most kids.

"He is very nice." Sherlock handed the bear back to Mina.

"Mummy, can Sherlock read to me?"

"Mina, I'm sure Sherlock doesn't want to read to you right now. Plus, you already choice music." The little girls' eye welled up with tears.

"If it's alright with you?" Sherlock pointed to the book on the ground. Molly just nodded. She watched as Sherlock sat on the ground next to Mina's bed and picked up the book. He stared reading to her with his soft voice and Molly's heart squeezed in her chest. This is was sight she thought she would never see. This past week had been too much and she couldn't watch anymore.

She turned out of the room and dragged herself down the stairs as quietly as she could, tears rolling down her face. She made it to the kitchen and braced herself at the edge of the sink, sobbing.

"When did I become such a blubbering mess!?" She scolded herself, but the tears didn't stop. She wasn't sure how long she stood by herself; it could have been ten seconds or an hour.

"Molly?" He placed his hand on her arm, making her jump. She realized the tears had finally stopped and wiped her face dry. "After she fell asleep I turned the light off and closed the door. Did I need to do anything else?"

"No no no." Molly inhaled deeply, trying to clear herself. "That's fine."

"I've upset you." Sherlock was so serious that Molly couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her mouth.

"It's just a lot of emotions that have been built up over the last year." Molly pulled her body up on the counter top, letting her legs hang down.

"All of the things I missed." He wasn't saying it as a question because he already knew what she was thinking. "You said I would want to be her friend."

"I know." Molly stared at a stain on the floor, knowing she needed to mop.

"You were right." Her head snapped up at his words. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. He stepped close to her so his waist was touching her knees. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that." He cupped the back of her head and gently pulled her lips to his, keeping his eyes locked with hers, waiting for her to stop him. She didn't.

Molly let her eyes close as Sherlock's lips moved softly against her own. She reached up and put her hands on his chest; she could feel his heart beating fast. Molly broke away from his lips and trailed tiny kisses down his jaw and back up to his lips. She bit at his bottom lip and he let out a small moan. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he ripped out the tie that was holding her hair back.

His hands slid under her bum and picked her up off the counter holding her tight to his body. He walked them back to the living room and laid Molly on the couch. He settled between her legs more tightly as he licked the soft skin on her neck.

"Ouch!" Sherlock stopped and looked at her alarmed. "Not you." Molly wiggled a hand under her back and pulled one of Mina's toys out from underneath her. "This." She dropped it on the floor and leaned her head back up, wanting more of his lips.

"Come on." He got up, making her groan in frustration. He took her hand and pulled her up the stairs. He started for the door next to Mina's.

"No. That's just a junk room." Molly moved past him and towards her bedroom. Molly stood beside her bed and waited as Sherlock closed the door. They stood staring at each other before Sherlock made a move towards her. "I don't want pity sex."

"Why do you assume me having sex with you is pity?"

"I just don't want it." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to collect her thoughts. "Poor Miss Hooper, single mom, all alone, hasn't gotten laid in two years. Poor Miss Hooper, hasn't had a date in two and a half years. Poor – "

"This isn't pity sex." He practically growled at her as wrapped his arms around her waist again. Molly tugged on the bottom of his shirt and yanked it over his head, sure she had heard one of the buttons pop off. Sherlock's hand where more steady and slipped her blouse off with ease. Molly's fingers fumbled with his belt as he found a spot on her shoulder that he favored.

"My body is different." She stopped him as he ran his finger under the band of her bra. He gave her a questioning look. "I mean, pregnancy changes things. Not that you probably remember much from before."

"I remember everything from that night." He slid her pants off and dropped her bra on the ground. He pushed her backwards onto the bed and settled himself on top of her. Molly studied him. His body was just as she remembered it and her heart beat just as hard as she remembered it had that first night.

"I…I don't have…" Molly's face was deep red.

"I may have been presumptuous." He reached down on the ground and dug through his trouser pockets. "Sorry if that was rude." He blushed as he hovered above her again. She had never seen Sherlock blush before and needed him to stop being so damn polite about the whole thing. She kissed him hard and rolled her hips against him. She closed her eyes, holding her breath as he sunk into her.

In the morning, she woke, alone. She looked around her room; all of Sherlock's clothes were gone. She got up and pulled her rob on and hurried down stairs. No Sherlock. She wanted to slap herself. How could she be so stupid? She trudged her way back upstairs and into her room. On the ground she saw the button that had popped off Sherlock's shirt and picked it up.

"Molly Hooper, you are an idiot." She told herself. She put the button on her dresser as she heard Mina waking up.


	3. Chapter 3

One Year Previous:

"Sometimes it's a pain that your washer is upstairs. And I've just discovered why you set up the bedrooms the way you did." John said as he walked down the stairs. He was caring a basket full of baby stuff – blankets, clean clothes, and nappies.

"Because I wanted the bedroom with the bath attached and I wanted Mina to have a wardrobe when she got older?" Molly sat on the couch, breastfeeding Mina, with a blanket covering as much as possible.

"No. You wanted a room between yours and Mina's so that when you start dating again you can shag without waking up your daughter!" He dropped the basket on the ground with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Oh, yes. You've figured out my master plan!" She rolled her eyes at him as she switched sides with Mina. John's laughter died and he cleared his throat.

"I've met someone."

"Really?" Molly had been hoping he would meet a nice girl soon.

"Her name's Mary."

"When do I get to meet her?" Molly gave up trying to feed the uninterested Mina and handed her off to John while she got herself situated.

"You aren't worried that things are going to change between us?" He hoisted Mina up on his shoulder.

"No." Molly said simply. John didn't respond. "John? Are you worried?"

"You and Mina are important to me." He patted Mina's back.

"Then we won't let things changes and if they do I'll kick your bum!"

"Good." John smiled.

"Sooo, when do I get to meet her?" Molly asked again. John stopped patting Mina and looked at his watch.

"Forty minutes." He grinned.

"What! This place isn't ready for people to come over." Molly startled.

"Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade were here yesterday."

"They aren't people…they're _my people_!" Molly got up and started pushing things into piles. John just laughed at her.

"She isn't coming here. We are meeting her at the place on the corner." Molly stopped "cleaning" at John's words.

"Oh." She stood up and straightened her shoulders.

"Go take a shower that lasts longer than three minutes and take more than two minutes to decide what you are going to wear. I will get Mina around and in clothes that she hasn't spit up in yet today."

"No, you go. I…I'll meet her another time." Molly nodded and took Mina out of John's arms.

"Molly. It's been four months. You need to get out. You need to take Mina out." John watched as Molly paced back and forth in front of him.

"I know. I will. Soon." Molly nodded her head. John got up and took Mina back and put her in the buggy.

"You need to go back to work." John gripped Molly by the shoulders. "Why haven't you? I thought you loved the morgue?"

"It's been a year." Molly breathed. "The morgue is so quiet without him."

"I miss him too, but you and Mina are a big reason why I have been able to hang on. I want Mary to meet you two." John gave Molly a hug.

"Okay." She smiled softly.

"Now go shower."

Present:

"Mummy, your mobile." Mina hurried into the kitchen holding up the mobile that was playing Lestrade's tone.

"Hello?" Molly put a plate on the table for Mina, who crawled up onto her chair and started eating the scrambled eggs.

"Can you come to the morgue?"

"I don't work Saturdays, you know that." She put the eggs away and watched as Mina devoured her food.

"Well the Saturday guy doesn't like Sherlock."

"Who does?" Molly recoiled at how harsh her own words sounded.

"Molly." Lestrade warned.

"It's my day off." Molly groaned.

"Please Molly! The guy kicked Sherlock out of the morgue! He didn't even get to look at the body!"

"I hate you." She whispered into the phone so Mina couldn't hear. "But I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Where are you going mummy?" Mina stabbed at her eggs.

"We are going to the morgue." Molly tried to put some sunshine in her voice.

"YAY!" Mina jumped down from her chair and ran for the stairs. Molly followed behind her. She brushed Mina's hair and sighed because she didn't have time to wash it. It was just a big fluffy mess. She parted it down the center and pulled it into two separate pigtails. It looked like Mina had two pygmy puffs on the sides of her head.

"Oh, look at your hair!" Molly held Mina up in the mirror.

"It's fluffy!" She patted it and watched as it sprung back out.

"Okay, let's get you in some clean clothes." She tucked Mina under her arm like a limp sack of potatoes and hulled her to her bedroom. Molly set out the clothes for Mina and left her to get dressed because Mina liked doing things herself.

Molly threw her sleep clothes in a pile and picked up the bra she had been wearing the night before off the floor. She put it on and found a new pair of pants and trousers and put them on. She raked a brush through her hair and got a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

"No. No, no. No,no,no,no,no!" She ran her hand over the dark red spot on her left shoulder, the same spot Sherlock had nipped at and sucked at the night before.

"Are you hurt?" Mina had even slipped her shoes on. Molly looked down at her.

"Wrong feet baby." Molly looked back up. "No, I'm n…yes. I have a bruise." She nodded her head once at her daughter and pulled her shirt over her head, glad that it wasn't that wide of a neck. She tossed on her coat, grabbed her purse, and headed downstairs to her car.

One year previous:

"Mary!" John waved her over and stood up, kissing her on the cheek. "This is Greg Lestrade, Molly, and Mina."

"Hi!" Mary shook hands with Lestrade. "Nice to meet you Greg."

"Lestrade…at least that's what these two call me most of the time." He chuckled.

"Molly." Molly reached out and shook Mary's hand. "And this is Mina?" Mary smiled brightly at the little girl in Molly's arms.

"Yes, Willamina."

"She is beautiful." Mary added. Molly grinned, she loved when people adored her baby girl. Mary sat down at the table next to John. "So are you two.." Mary pointed between Lestrade and Molly.

"NO!" Lestrade and Molly said together, and then laughed.

"No. Just good mates." Molly added.

"Oh, sorry." Mary's face flushed a little.

"Don't be sorry! Most people either think I'm with him or John. But it's just me and Mina." Molly watched as Mary looked a little uncomfortable. "Oh, gosh, that probably sounded weird, me saying that people think I'm with John…I just meant…they're like my brothers." Molly bit her bottom lip, feeling stupid. Mary started laughing.

"Really, it's alright!" Mary giggled a little more. "John has told me all about you and his relationship." Molly nodded a little. "Really, I think it's great!"

Present:

"I hate driving into the city on a Saturday." Molly said to Lestrade who was waiting by the lift.

"Thank you for coming. Hi Mina!" He opened his arms and Mina practically jumped out of Molly's.

"Uncle Lestrade, are you coming with us to the morgue?" Mina patted his face.

"Yes." He smiled as they got in the lift. "You like coming here, don't you?"

"OH YES!" Mina's tiny voice echoed and Molly couldn't help but smile. The lift stopped and they got off. Lestrade's mobile chirped in his pocket and he handed Mina back to Molly. He looked at the screen.

"Not my division." He said to the mobile.

"MOLLY!" John practically jumped off the ground with relief.

"Hi, hi, hi." She rambled, trying to avoid looking at Sherlock, who stood next to him. "Here." She handed Mina to John and walked into the morgue.

"Take an hour – "

"TWO HOURS!" Sherlock's voice pierced through the doors.

"Take a two hour break." Molly said to Ben, the weekend worker.

"But – "

"Take a break." Molly locked eyes with the guy and didn't blink till Ben left the morgue. Not two seconds later John, Mina, Lestrade, and Sherlock entered. Molly tossed her coat down and picked up the file on the body.

"Thank you!" John gave Molly a big hug. Sherlock walked past without saying a word. He walked over to the body and started doing his normal routine. Lestrade stood in the corner arguing with the person on the other end.

"Can I look at the body too?" Mina asked from John's arms

"NO!" "Yes." Molly rejected while Sherlock agreed. Molly set her jaw and walked over to the body, still not looking at Sherlock. She zipped the bag up so only the top part of the man was visible. He looked harmless enough for Mina. "Fine." John set Mina on the ground and she ran over to Sherlock, ignoring Molly. Sherlock didn't think twice before lifting the little girl into his arms. He started explaining the things he was observing and Mina just nodded, like she understood everything he was saying.

Molly turned away and grabbed the edge of the other table. John walked over and leaned on the same table.

"You okay?" He whispered.

"NO!" Molly gritted her teeth. "He…her...he was supposed to stay dead, John."

"Molly?"

"I slept with him because it was the last time I was ever going to see him! I thought I was in love with him and I just needed something more to remember him by. Then I peed on a stick. I walked around this morgue for almost nine months talking to my belly because I missed his annoying, mean, amazing, smart, obnoxious ramblings."

"You're rambling." John added.

"Then I couldn't come back because I was afraid it was going to be too quiet. And John," She looked up at him. "I wish it was quiet again."

"Mina seems to like him." John pointed to them. Molly turned and looked, she had never seen her little girl with such a big grin on her face.

"I hate him."

"Me too." John and Molly laughed together.

"Who do we hate?" Lestrade strolled over to the two of them.

"Sherlock." They said in unison.

"Oh, yea, me too." He agreed.

"Is that a bruise?" Mina asked Sherlock, pointing to the man's face.

"Yes."

"Mummy has a bruise." Molly's eyes got big at Mina's words.

"She does?" Sherlock raised an eyebrow; he didn't remember seeing one last night.

"Mina!" Molly warned, but she ignored it.

"On her shoulder, here." Mina pointed to Sherlock's left shoulder.

"Oh." Sherlock tried to keep the smirk off his face while Molly's turned bright red.

"A bruise?" John tried to keep the smile off his face while Lestrade didn't even bother to try.

"Shut up!" Molly spat at the two of them.

"Mummy, you said that was a bad word." Mina wiggled out of Sherlock's arms and came over to Molly.

"It is. Don't say it." Molly picked up Mina, turning her back on Sherlock, and sat her on the table.

"So your mum has a bruise, does she?" John asked.

"Uh-huh." Mina pointed to Molly's shoulder.

"Mina, why don't you go get some crisps with Lestrade?" Molly gave Lestrade a stern look. He picked up Mina without a word and walked her out of the morgue.

"So, who's the guy?" John asked, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"We are not going to talk about this." Molly sat down.

"Come on! I bet you were glad for that junk room of yours." He practically shouted.

"Oh my gosh!" Molly punched John's shoulder.

"OW!" He rubbed his shoulder. "Is that where the _bruise_ is?" He reached his hand out to move her hair, but she batted it away.

"I said we aren't talking about this." She tried not giggling.

"Oh come on! I know how long it's been!" John was enjoying this more than Molly thought he should be. "At least tell me how it was!" The red on Molly's face deepened even more. "Sooo! It was good!"

"John, just, no!" She shoved her finger in his face.

"Come on! The last time a guy touched you was…" John got real quiet when we remembered it wasn't just him and Molly in the morgue. "You know what." He swallowed hard. "I think I'm going to go find Mina and Lestrade." He turned and left quickly.

Molly heard Sherlock's footsteps coming towards her. He was still facing the door when he stopped next to her. He turned and faced Molly. She looked up, finally making eye contact with him. Sherlock reached out and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. He moved the neck of her shirt to the side and finally looked down, smirking at his work.

Molly's jaw tightened. She wanted to punch him in his perfect face. And she wanted to punch herself when she realized how much she wanted to just kiss him again, the slight pressure of his finger tips on her skin were driving her crazy. She watched as Sherlock bent his head, lowering his lips towards her shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?" Molly pushed Sherlock away and stood up.

"I…uhh…" The look of shock on his face satisfied Molly greatly.

"You made your choice. This morning. When you left. Without a single word to me." Molly yelled at him.

"It wasn't this morning." Sherlock whispered.

"What?" She was seething.

"After you fell asleep, I…I left." Sherlock seemed genuinely ashamed of himself.

"Wow, that's perfect!" Molly started pacing. Sherlock straightened his shoulders and cleared his face of emotions.

"I figured I should leave incase Mina woke up. I didn't want to confuse her."

"She's been sleeping through the night since she was three and a half months!" She stopped pacing. "And why would it confuse her?"

"I told you I didn't want to be a father." Molly felt like she had been hit with a train.

"But last night, you said."

"I said I wanted to get to know her." His icy voice sent a chill through to her heart.

"Well, I am glad we cleared that up." She said just as icy.

"Good, me too. Now, I think we should…" He stopped talking as he saw Molly's eyes growing darker.

"Mina and I are a packaged deal, Sherlock. I told you that. You and I aren't going to be anything anymore."

"Fine." He clasped his hands behind his back and walked back over to the body.

One Year Previous:

"It was great meeting you!" Molly gave Mary a small hug, not sure if it was okay, but she was just so happy for John.

"I am so glad to have met you as well." Mary said to the both of them.

"I guess we will be seeing you 'round then." Lestrade smiled, and looked at his watch. "Bye guys." He got in a cab and left.

"I need to go too. I have a call to make." Molly gave John a small smile and he nodded. "Keep this one in line Mary."

"I will." She smiled. Molly gave a small wave and turned away.

"Molly!" John called to her. She stopped and turned around. "I think we're going to be okay." She hugged him and whispered,

"Yea, we are." She let go and turned to go home. "John?"

"Yea?"

"I like her." She smiled at him and walked home. When she got in the house she left Mina in her buggy and called her boss.

"I want to come back, on Monday." She said without thinking twice about it.

"Good! This place needs you back."

"Oh, I'm glad; I was afraid maybe you found someone better."

"Oh no. Definitely not. See you Monday, your normal schedule."

Molly put down her mobile and got Mina out. She made faces at the wide eyed little girl and watched as she smiled and giggled along with her.

"We are going to be just fine." She kissed her little bundle.

Present:

It was over a week before he spoke to her again. Mary had invited Molly for dinner before she knew John had invited Sherlock.

"Is that a rubber band in your hair?" Mary stared at the back of Molly's head. Molly sat in their living room watching Mina play. Mary sat down with her.

"Yes." She sighed. "Last weekend I broke my last two ties trying to get them out of Mina's hair."

"What happened to the lime green one you over paid for six months ago? The one you said you had to have!" Mary giggled.

"Uhh, not sure where is it." Molly shrugged. That morning she had found it in a tea cup on her shelve in the kitchen, Sherlock must have just tossed it after he broke it trying to get it out of her hair last week. "Anyways, I need to go get more, I just haven't had time. So rubber bands it is. To be honest I am about ready to cut all my hair off."

"NO!" Sherlock's voice startled them both. He had just walked in from the kitchen. "I mean, your long hair suits you. Your head would look…too small with short hair." He stumbled over the last bit and went back to the kitchen complaining to John about some new traffic light timing system.

"First words in a week and they are an insult." Molly rolled her eyes.

"You haven't spoken in a week?" Mary sipped on a cup of tea.

"We had a bad row in the morgue last weekend."

"I heard about that…was he angry that you slept with another guy?" Molly gave her a questioning look. "John told me about the guy from last Friday." Mary winked.

"Oh! I'm surprised John hasn't figured it out by now."

"What?" She asked after taking another sip

"It was Sherlock." Molly shrugged again.

"We already knew that."

"No. Last Friday. I slept with Sherlock."

"OH MY GOSH!" Mary couldn't stop herself from yelling.

"Shh!" Molly looked towards the kitchen, but neither of the boys seemed to be interested. "He came over. He said sweet things. I feel for it like an idiot. I slept with him. I woke up alone. End of."

"So that's what you were fighting about?" Molly nodded yes to Mary's question. "How did you leave it?"

"I told him that Mina and I are a package deal."

"And?" Mary asked.

"He doesn't want to be a father." Molly said simply.

"I'm sorry Molly." Mary looked so concerned.

"Don't be. I'm the idiot who slept with him twice."

"Well you sound like you could use some good old alone time to pamper yourself. Why don't John and I take Mina for the weekend?"

"I think we are going to go see my parents. They haven't seen Mina is awhile and I miss them." It was true. All Molly really wanted was to talk to her mum.

"Okay, well when you get back." Mary smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks."

Seven Months Previous:

Molly had known Mina was an advance baby. She had reached milestones earlier than most children. She slept through the night at three and a half months. At seven months, she started pulling herself up to standing position without help. At eight months she walked while holding on to Molly's fingers. And Mina was twice as advanced on her vocal abilities than other children. It was hard for Molly to deny that Mina was a product of Sherlock Holmes's genes. But she still wasn't ready for the day that Mina stood up without pulling herself up and started walking on her own.

"She's only nine months old!" Molly snapped pictures while talking to her mum on the phone. "She is walking!"

Mina looked as if she had been walking for months as she moved around Molly's living room.

"I mean its perfect mum! She barely trips on anything."

"Mummy!" Mina squealed and tried running at Molly. She tripped, but Molly caught her.

"First trip. She tried to run. What nine month old tries to run and knows that my name is mummy?" Molly nearly dropped her mobile thinking about it. "Mum, I got to go. I'll call you later." She dialed again. "Mycroft…yea, she's doing great!...Umm…sure…anyways, I need…yea that would be fine…uh-huh…yes…MYCROFT! I need a list or something of when Sherlock hit the milestones when he was a kid…why?...Mina is walking…she just stood up by herself and started walking across the room…Sherlock was eight months old?...so can you just make a list?"

Present:

"Grandma's?" Mina bounced on Molly's bed as Molly got stuff around for the weekend.

"Yes. She can't wait to see you!" Molly tried to keep a smile on had face, but just ended up frowning at the stupid button on her dresser.

"Hello?" Mycroft's voice floated up the stairs. Molly suppressed the urge to tell him to get out. She really didn't want to see either Holmes.

"Bedroom." Molly called down.

"Uncle Mikey, Uncle Mikey!" Mina slid off Molly's bed and ran out of the room.

"Hello Mina!"

"Uncle Mikey! I'm going to my grandma's house!"

"Really? That's exciting." Mycroft walked into Molly's room holding Mina's hand. "Molly. You changed your hair."

"Yes. I was sick of the length." Molly had gone out Wednesday after talking with Mary and chopped it off. Her hair now hung just above her shoulders, she was still able to pull it back out of her face.

"Sherlock had said something about it."

"Sherlock taught me about making deduck-tions." Mina grinned.

"Oh, good." Molly frowned at Mycroft's sarcasm. "Why don't you go play so I can talk with your mum?"

"Okay." Mina knew when she was being dismissed. Molly watched as she left.

"What do you need Mycroft?" Molly did her best to keep her voice even.

"I want to talk to you about my little brother." Mycroft sat down in the corner chair. "It seems that he has taken a rather…big interest in you and Mina since he has been back."

"And that involves you how?" Molly gave up on packing and sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her arms.

"Because we Holmes brothers see caring as a weakness. I think it would be wise of you to not get involved with him."

"Don't worry. I learned my lesson."

"Well I do assume you don't want to be a single mother with two children."

"I'm not talking about Mina!" She bit out before she could stop herself.

"Then what are you talking about?" He asked.

"Nothing. Forget it Mycroft." Molly started bouncing her legs.

"If you tell me, I will fly you to your parents tonight." It was Friday night and Molly really didn't want to make the four hour drive. She hated being manipulated by the Holmes brothers, but this time it seemed to work out in her favor.

"I slept with Sherlock two weeks ago."

"Excuse me?" Mycroft looked like he had been slapped.

"I slept with Sherlock again. Now, can I get my ride?" She smiled at him. Mycroft composed himself before he spoke again.

"A car will be here to pick you up in thirty minutes." He stood up and buttoned his suit coat. "Do be careful, Molly, my brother cares for nothing more than himself. And because I care for you and Mina, I ask that you stay away from him."

"I thought you said caring was a weakness?" Molly asked before he left.

"I only have two weaknesses. Goodnight Molly."


	4. Chapter 4

Present:

"Goodnight Mina." Molly's mum smiled as she closed the door to the little girl's room. Molly settled into the couch with a glass of wine in hand. "So, are you going to tell me why you're here?" She sat down next to her daughter.

"I have to have a reason to come visit my mum and dad?" She took a sip of her wine, hoping to hide her lie.

"Molly Hooper, I know when you are lying to me."

"It's, it's about Mina's father." Molly sat her wine down on the table next to her. Her mum took a deep breath. She had never been very accepting that Molly wouldn't give her a name.

"Okay. What's happening?" She reached out and took Molly's hand in hers.

"He came back and things have gotten complicated."

"Where did he come back from?" Her mum asked.

"I don't exactly know…" Molly's voice faded off.

"Molly, are you ever going to tell me who he is?"

"Sherlock Holmes." Molly finally whispered. Her mom's eyebrows shut up in surprise. "I know, I know." Molly put her hands up in defense, planning on defending herself. Her mom pushed her hands down and drew Molly to her, hugging her tight.

"It all makes a little more sense." She said to Molly.

"The night that Sherlock _died_, he stayed at my flat. It wasn't supposed to happen. I hadn't meant to kiss him; I didn't even realize what I had done until he asked me what I was doing."

"Love doesn't make sense."

"Love? I wasn't in love with Sherlock Holmes. I had an unhealthy infatuation with him." Molly shook her head, remembering how silly she had been.

"Oh Molly. You were in love with him, you still love him, and you are going to love him for a very long time." Molly scrunched up her face at her mum. "I can tell you are mad at him, but when you say his name, your eyes lit up a little. You can see the hint of a smile, even in your frown."

"Mum, that doesn't even make sense!" Molly laughed at how ridiculous her mother was being.

"Maybe not the last part, but the other stuff does." She smiled. "Go on, tell me what's happened."

"The night Sherlock meet Mina he told me he didn't want to be a father. I had accepted that. I was okay with that. Then he started spending time with Mina. I was wasn't too excited about it, but she already loves him like she loves John and I didn't want to stop that bright smile I have been seeing."

"Plus you enjoyed seeing her with him?"

"Yes." Molly nodded. "Sometimes it's overwhelming, when it seems like he wants to be more than just her friend, or how easy it was for him to do things dads would do and he didn't even realize it. That's when it kills me."

"That's when you did something stupid? Don't give me that look, it's written all over your face."

"I may have crossed a line with him that I probably shouldn't have crossed." Molly had never been comfortable talking about these things with her mum.

"You slept with him?" Molly nodded. "He still doesn't want to be a father?" Molly nodded again. "Do you want him out of Mina's life entirely?"

"Yes." She agreed. "No." She disagreed. "I wish that he could be in Mina's life without disrupting mine…I sound so selfish."

"No, you sound like a woman who has been scorned by the man she loves."

"I do not love him, mother." Molly was not happy that she kept insisting that.

"Okay, okay." Her mum was the one to hold up her hands this time.

Five Months Previous:

"Hi Molly!" The new assistant, Rory, greeted her as she walked into the morgue.

"Hi Rory." She mumbled as walked past him to her office. There were new case files on her desk, waiting for her. She groaned.

"How was your – " He stood in the doorway to her office.

"I'll be right back." She moved past him and walked down the hall to the locker room. She had spilled her coffee on her scrub top while coming into the hospital that morning and she knew she had another one in her locker. "Why don't I just keep my shit in my office?" She grumbled as she stripped out of the soaked top and into the clean one. As she walked back into the morgue, Rory's unnaturally big smile annoyed her.

"Do you have my tools set up so I can start on the first one?" Molly pulled her hair back out of her face. She felt her top raise and noticed when Rory's eyes wandered down to the bare skin of her tummy.

"Umm, I was wondering, would like coffee?" He continued to smile at her. She didn't know what to do. She was not ready to start seeing someone – especially Rory, he was took perky all the time. She knew she was going to hate herself when she said it, but it was the only good option that came to her mind.

"Uhh, yea, black, two sugars. Thanks." She turned away from him, ashamed that she had just used a blow off line that had been used on her, but unlike Sherlock, Molly understood when someone was asking for a date.

For the rest of the day Rory wandered around the lab with a sad look on his face. Molly had to admit that she did not necessarily miss the smiling.

"Hey Molly, ready for lunch?" John and Mary walked into her office where she had been trapped for a good fifteen minutes.

"OH MY GOD! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU!" Her words came out in a forced whisper.

"Okay?" Mary gave Molly a questioning. Molly got up from her desk, looked out into the morgue, and closed the door.

"Rory asked me to go out for coffee and instead I gave him my coffee order!" John started cracking up; Mary looked at him like he was crazy.

"One time, after Sherlock got done beating a body with a riding crop, Molly asked him if he wanted to get coffee with her, and he just gave her his order." John explained to Mary.

"Yea, but at least he doesn't understand human nature! I knew exactly what I was doing and now I feel awful."

"Why didn't you just tell him the truth?" Mary asked.

"I don't know, it was the first thing that came to me that seemed like a good idea." Molly leaned against her office door in clear distress.

"So should we just have lunch delivered to your office?" Mary asked sarcastically.

"Yes. Sounds good." Molly smiled her thanks to Mary and sat down in her chair. John followed suit and sat down too.

"I was joking." Mary looked at the two of them like they were senseless.

"It was a good idea." John smiled at her. Mary sighed and sat down, knowing she was going to lose against the two of them. "So how is Mina?"

"Good. I can't believe she is going to be a year soon! It seems like just yesterday I was freaking out about which nappies to get!"

"No, but it was just two minutes when you were freaking out about a guy wanting to shag you." Mary rolled her eyes as John laughed at the horrified Molly.

Present:

"How was your visit with your parent's a few weeks ago?" John and Molly were waiting for Sherlock and Lestrade to get to the morgue before Molly started cutting.

"It was good. My mum thinks I love Sherlock." She said casually.

"Do you?" John asked back.

"I have never loved him. It was an unhealthy infatuation."

"Uh-huh." John just nodded, not believing her. Molly ignored his skepticism.

"My mum helped me see that Mina spending time with Sherlock, even as just a friend, is a good thing for her for right now."

"It is good for her." John agreed, not really listening.

"I think Mycroft might have told me he was interested in me." Molly continued, nonchalantly and watched as John choked on air.

"What?" Sherlock's voice caused Molly and John's head to whip around. Molly looked at him, wide eyed.

"Nothing. Is Lestrade here too?" Molly tried to brush by the topic.

"Did you just say that Mycroft is interested in you?" Sherlock's eyes grew dark and his towering presence started to scare Molly.

"No…well, yea…it was more to shock John into listening to me?" Molly asked, hoping he would calm down.

"What did he say to you?" He asked, with a steady voice.

"Sherlock." John tried to get him to stop.

"Molly! What did he say to you?!" He voice bounced off the walls of the morgue.

"We were talking about you. He told me to be careful because you cared for nothing more than yourself. And because he cared for Mina and me, he asked that I stay away from you." She swallowed hard. "I said to him, I thought you said caring was a weakness. His reply was that he only had two weaknesses. Then he said goodnight."

The three of them stood silently in the morgue, Sherlock was seething. Molly had never seen him so angry. She wanted to say something, but had no words.

"Hey! Look who I found outside." Lestrade burst into the morgue with Mycroft by his side. Sherlock didn't waste any time. He turned toward his brother and punched him square in the face, the same way he had that night at Baker Street. "SHERLOCK! What the hell?" Lestrade caught Mycroft before he fell.

Molly and John looked at each other, taken aback at the turn of events.

"Which one do you want?" John asked Molly.

"Sherlock." She said staring at the consulting detective who was holding his hand. She placed her hand on his elbow and pulled him toward her. "Come on." She led him to the far side of the morgue and sat him down, facing away from Mycroft. She looked down at his knuckles. He had busted them on Mycroft's nose.

She pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed the few things she would need to do the stiches, something she only did on herself when she didn't want to bother going to see John about a scratch. She cleaned his knuckles, trying to ignore the fact that she liked holding his hand.

"Your hair suits you." He said quietly.

"What?" Molly didn't know how to respond.

"Your hair…it looks…_nice_?" He asked, not knowing what word to use. Molly let the small smile emerge on her lips.

"Thank you." She finished putting in the stiches and wrapped all of his knuckles. "All done." Molly was still holding his hurt hand as she looked over his shoulder and saw John was still cleaning Mycroft's broken nose.

"Molly." Sherlock's other hand wrapped around her wrist. She turned her eyes back to his face and met his stare. All of the anger was gone, replaced with regret. She noticed a tiny cut, under his eye, that still had a small bruise around it.

What's this from?" She let go of his bandaged hand and brushed her finger against his skin.

"John punched me." He looked down at his hand that was still wrapped around her wrist. Molly smirked.

"Why?"

"Because I was an idiot." He brought his eyes back up to meet hers. Molly felt herself leaning into him and wanted to stop herself, but couldn't. She let her eyes close as she pressed her lips to his. She placed her free hand on his thigh, holding herself up, as he laced his free hand through her short hair. Molly jumped back from Sherlock at the sound of John's coughing, but Sherlock's hand still remained wrapped around her wrist.

"Ready to start?" He asked. He gave her a questioning look.

"Yea, just one second." Molly gave her head a small shake, clearing it. "We, we can't keep doing this. I don't know what you want. To be honest I don't think you know what you want, but I can't do this. I am a packaged deal and there can't be any grey areas. I can't see you, or kiss you, or sleep with you." Sherlock let go of Molly's wrist and nodded his head.

"Mina? Can I still see her?"

"Of course. She loves spending time with you." She touched Sherlock on the arm softly and started to walk away. "Actually," She stopped, turning to him again. "Don't tell John this, but I think you might be taking over as her favorite."

Four Months Previous:

"Well that was…_nice_." Mycroft searched for the right word.

"Thanks." Molly gave a snort as she plopped down on the couch next to him. "I still can't believe she's a year old!"

"I can't believe you threw a birthday party for a one year old." Mycroft had only come because Mina personally asked.

"Hey! It was fun." Molly leaned forward and grabbed a left over piece of birthday cake. "Cake?" She asked around a bite, holding the fork out to him. He looked at the fork and shrugged, taking a bite. "Plus," She swallowed. "How cute was she in the dress with her dark curls!" Molly's smile started to fade as she sat thinking more.

"No. Don't do that." Mycroft said after swallowing a rather large bite.

"Do what?" She tried to cover with another bite of cake.

"Where you mention something about Mina that she got from Sherlock and then you get…_sad_." He said the word, as if emotions themselves repulsed him.

"You're right." She sat down the cake just as Mycroft was reaching for another bite. "In a couple of months Sherlock will have been gone for two years. It's time to move on and focus on my daughter as a whole instead of parts of me and him."

"Good." Mycroft handed her his mobile. "Look through the pictures I took today."

"You took pictures?" Molly smiled brightly.

"Just do it." Mycroft ordered. Molly settled back into the couch and leaned her head on Mycroft's shoulder. He looked down at her with a questioning look, but didn't say anything.

"Thank you. For everything."

Present:

"You said we could take Mina for a weekend. And that was over a month ago." Mary had shown up at Molly's on Friday after work.

"I did! And you can take her whenever! I just didn't want to push her on you. You did finally get engaged." Molly took Mary's hand into hers, staring at the ring again.

"I know! But I want her. Now." Mary's smile vanished as she turned serious.

"Now? Like right now? Tonight?" Molly blinked.

"I mean, is that okay?" Mary gave a small smile.

"Of course! I will get you some clothes for this weekend." Molly stood up and Mary followed her up the stairs.

"Where is she, by the way?"

"She went for a walk with Sherlock." She flicked on the light in Mina's room and found her favorite backpack.

"So things are better?" Mary asked, hesitantly.

"Yea, they are. I mean, they're a little awkward for him and I, but we aren't fighting or sleeping with each other and that's good for Mina."

"Molly?" Sherlock called from down stairs.

"Mina's room." She yelled back. "I think maybe we can be friends."

"Do you really just want to be friends?" Mary whispered.

"Yes. That would be just fine with me." Molly nodded, but Mary didn't believe her.

"Mary!" Mina was delighted when she saw Mary in her room.

"Would you like to spend the weekend with John and me?" Mina's eyes got big at her question.

"Yes!" She bobbed her little head, making Molly laugh.

"Why don't you pick out two stuffed animals you want to take with you." Molly nodded to the pile in the corner.

"Molly, can I talk to you?" Sherlock asked shyly from the hallway.

"Yea." She handed Mary the bag. "It's all packed. If you need more clothes than that, tell John to stop putting her in the mud." Molly left Mina and Mary to hunt for the two perfect animals and followed Sherlock downstairs. "So?" They stood in the middle of the living room.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Molly laughed, but Sherlock just stood with an expressionless face. "Because you generally don't say thank you…never mind. You're welcome. For what?"

"For giving me a second shot." He stood with his arms at his side, so unlike him.

"With Mina?" She wanted to be clear.

"Yes. With Mina." He nodded his head, making his curls bounce, just as Mina's had not five minutes earlier. Molly stopped herself from giggling at it.

"Again, you're welcome."

"Goodnight." He stepped forward and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Molly Hooper." He gave her a tight smile and left.

Molly ran herself a bath and sat reading a magazine. She hadn't taken a bath since before Mina was born and it was amazingly nice compared to her five minute showers. She flipped through the pages of dating advice, laughing at the things people were suggesting.

Molly nodded her head and jerked straight up, splashing water over the sides of the tub. She had dozed off at the quietness of her empty house. She pulled the magazine out of the water and tossed it in the bin. She stood up and wrapped herself in her towel. She decided to blow out her hair, again something she hadn't done in months.

It felt amazing to slip into her sleep clothes with dry hair, instead of her work clothes with still dripping wet hair. She had missed the small things she gave up.

She crawled into bed and snuggled down into the blankets. The problem was she was no longer tired. She thought about getting out of bed and watching some late night reruns when she caught a glimpse of the button on the stand. Her mum's words floated back to her.

_"You were in love with him, you still love him, and you are going to love him for a very long time."_

"No, it was an unhealthy infatuation." She told herself and rolled on to her back staring at the ceiling.

_"Which one do you want?" "Sherlock."_

"No you don't."

_"Do you really just want to be friends?"_ Mary's words were the ones that kept playing over and over in her head. She rolled back on her side and picked up the button. She looked down at it in her hand. Then she flung back her blankets and dressed quickly. She grabbed her coat, purse, keys, and was out the door in three minutes. She stopped a cab and got in, telling him she was in a hurry.

Mary's question replayed in her head as the city rushed past in a blur. She barely thanked the driver as she threw the money at him, getting out of the car. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, not bothering to knock. Her heart pounded in her ears as she rushed up the stairs. She had just barely gripped the handle when the door opened, pulling her forward, towards the floor. His strong hands had caught her before she could smash her face into the wood.

"Thank you." She brushed her hair behind her ears, trying to regain composure.

"Molly." Sherlock offered her John's chair but she just shook her head no. He sat down in his chair and watched as she took off her coat and hung up her purse.

She rubbed her sweaty hands on her legs and tried to take a steading breath; it didn't work. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest as she turned to face him.

"I don't really know what I'm doing here." She held the button in between her finger and thumb. "I don't know what I'm doing here." She said again.

Sherlock didn't give her a response, instead just sat, watching her.

"Why…why don't you want to be a father?" Molly finally sat down in the chair opposite Sherlock.

"Weaknesses are – "

"No. The real answer." Molly was sick of that answer. "Why don't you want to be _her _father? You spend time with her. You seem to enjoy it, so why don't you want to be a father?"

"I'm not good with human – "

"NO. Why don't you want to be her father?"

"I find hu – "

"NO! Why don't you want to her father?" She yelled.

"BECAUSE I'M SCARED!" He yelled back at her. "I know nothing about human interaction and I don't want to screw someone else up!" He was pacing the length of the living room.

"Sherlock." Molly tried.

"Especially Mina! She is so much like you and I don't want to to ruin the good in her!" He stopped pacing and knelt in front of Molly. "I'm not good. I do selfish things. I am not someone you want to be the father of your child!"

"But you are." She reached for his hands but he stood up again, walking over to the window. Molly stood up and walked half way to him. "Sherlock, I don't know what I am doing here, so give me a reason to stay."

"Molly." He looked, down shaking his head.

"Either give me a reason to stay or a reason to go."

"I can't."

"Why did you punch Mycroft?"

"What?" He swung around, looking at her like she was nuts.

"Twice. You punched him twice." He didn't say anything. "You punched him twice, Sherlock. Why?" He turned back to the window. "Why, did you punch Mycroft?!" She said more forcefully.

"Because you and Mina aren't his!" He turned around and walked over to her, there was barely any space between his body and Molly's. "You two aren't supposed to be his." He whispered, his hands on her waist.

"Then whose are we?" She asked, placing her hand over his heart, feeling it beating just as hard as hers was. He inhaled deeply taking in Molly's sent, knowing his answer would change everything, no matter what he said.

"Mine." He whispered before kissing her hard. He tightened his grip on her waist as she bit at his bottom lip.

"Are you sure?" She asked as he kissed down her neck.

"Yes."

"Mina and I. You want us both?" He nodded, his curls tickling her neck.

"Yes." He picked her up and Molly wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to his bed room. He shut the door and positioned Molly between him and the wall. She unlocked her legs and dropped her feet down to the floor, so she was standing. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. She started to unbutton his shirt, slowly, not wanting to pop off another button.

Molly woke when a ray of sunshine worked its way through the curtains. She rolled over trying to avoid the light and found herself settled against Sherlock's chest. She inhaled, taking in the scent of his skin, a smile on her face. She felt his hand run through her hair as he kissed her forehead.

"It really does suit you." He said sleepily.

"My head isn't too small?" She asked with a smirk.

"No, it's beautiful." She felt him smile against her skin. "When do you have to go?"

"Not today. Mary and John are keeping Mina until tomorrow night." She felt him slide an arm under her and wrap the other one around her waist. He rolled onto his back, pulling Molly on top of him and she couldn't stop the giggling that came bubbling up from her throat. Sherlock smiled brightly back at her. "I like seeing you smile."

He reached his hand up, pushing her hair back, cupping her head, and pulling her lips to his. He sucked on her top lip, ran his tongue over her bottom lip, and then gently bit it, causing her breath to catch.

"Me too." He said when he had released her lips back to her.

Molly sat at the table of Baker Street in nothing more than the dress shirt Sherlock had been wear the night before. She sat reading the newspaper, not being able to stop herself from inhaling his sent from the fabric.

"Have you really been back for only four months?" Molly asked as Sherlock walked into the kitchen, wearing a pair of sleep pants.

"14 weeks." He held out a muffin to her that Mrs. Hudson had made.

"About Four months then." She said, taking the muffin.

"Four and a half." He added just as Molly had taken a big bite. "Why?"

"It seems like too much has happened for it to have just been four months." She shrugged.

"At least you didn't find out you had a daughter and the woman who loved you waiting for you at home." He picked up the newspaper Molly had just sat down, trying to cover the smile on his face by hiding behind it.

"Now, who said anything about love?" Molly tried to be aloof.

"You did."

"I never said I loved you." She picked at the muffin in her hand.

"At the morgue last month." He turned the page, having not read anything.

"When you punched Mycroft?" She asked.

"Yes."

"I still don't remember telling you that I loved you." She grabbed the front of the newspaper and folded the whole thing down; Sherlock let it fall out of his hands and captured her wrist.

"I took your pulse. Twice." He reached out and took her wrist in his hand again.

"That doesn't prove anything." She laughed at him. He leaned on the table and stared into Molly's eyes.

"Dilated. Your pupils dilated."

"I still never said – "

"Said what?" His thumb rubbed circles on her wrist.

"I love you, Sherlock." She blinked several times, and leaned back in her chair, pulling her wrist from his hold. "I never said that."

Sherlock got up and scooped Molly off the chair and into his arms. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her on his bed, positioning himself above her. He leaned down and kissed her deep. Molly reached down and pushed his sleep pants off his hips and used her feet to get them the rest of the way down. He tore his shirt off her, popping another button off. He found the spot on her shoulder he had favored before, producing a moan from Molly, who let her hands wander over his body.

Molly lay with her head on Sherlock's chest, afterwards, drawing patterns down his arm, the other one wrapped protectively around her. She was almost asleep listening to his steady breathing when, his heart rate started to speed up again.

"I love you too Molly." His heart rate started to return to normal. Molly turned her head and placed a kiss on his chest, knowing that any attempt to speak would only ruin it.

Two Months Later:

"Doesn't this seem a bit too soon?" Mycroft sat on Molly's couch as others carried boxes in and up the stairs.

"No." Molly and Sherlock said in unison.

"John, don't drop that!" Sherlock yelled and rushed over to start yet another fight with him about proper moving etiquette.

Molly walked over and sat down next to Mycroft on the couch, letting the box in her hands rest on her knees.

"I am just now realizing that I probably should have made sure it was okay if Sherlock moved in. I mean, you did buy the house."

"Legally, you are the one who owns it." Mycroft avoided eye contact.

"Yes, but none of it would be mine without your help." Molly leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." Then she got up and cared the box up stairs. It was marked 'bed' so she too it to her, their, bedroom and pilled it in the corner.

"Hello." Sherlock spun her around, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her lightly on the lips, then jaw, and down her neck.

"Hi!" She breathed, lacing her fingers into his hair.

"Oh! Get a room!" Lestrade said as he brought a box up.

"We have one." Sherlock gave Lestrade an annoyed look, not letting go of Molly.

"Molly, are you sure you want this arse living with you?"

"Yes!" She responded. Lestrade left, shaking his head. "We should probably get back to helping them…since they are helping us."

"You say such horrible things, all the time!" He still wasn't letting her go.

"Mummy!" Mina ran into the room and Sherlock let go of Molly so she could give their daughter her full attention.

"Yea sweetie?"

"Sherlock brought a skull with him." Mina held up the skull in her hand.

"Oh my gosh!" Molly snatched it out of Mina's hands and shoved it into Sherlock's.

"Uncle John gave it to me." Mina pouted. Sherlock opened his arms and Mina walked into them as Molly left the room.

"Here." She heard Sherlock saying, knowing he gave it back to her. They walked back down stairs to continue moving his stuff in. "Go play." Molly watched as Sherlock sat her down and let her run off with the skull.

"Must you encourage her love of dead things?"

"Yes, yes I must." He smiled as he watched Mina placing the skull at her tea table along with her dolls.

"HEY! A little help here?" John called as he and Lestrade tried to maneuver Sherlock's chair through the front door.

"That's not going to fit through there." Sherlock leaned against the wall.

"No shit Sherlock." Mary scoffed at him.

"Bring it to the back." Molly just rolled her eyes at the two and walked over to open the back door for John and Lestrade.

"I can't believe we got it all put away." Molly walked out of the bath, drying her hair with a towel. Sherlock was already in bed, waiting for her.

"I don't have that much stuff." He fidgeted where he sat.

"What?" Molly tossed her towel on the chair and walked over, closing their bedroom door and setting down on the edge of the bed.

"I have something for you." He smiled and pulled out a wrapped package. Molly took it. It was too big to be any kind of jewelry, but too square to be a book. She took off the wrapping and laughed at the present. It was a clear box with the two dress shirt buttons on a white background.

"I love it!" She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him to her, kissing him hard. She let him go and placed the box on the table beside the bed. She got up and turned off the light. She climbed back into bed, feeling his arms around her waist, pulling her so that she was settled against him.

"I love you." He kissed the stop of her shoulder.

"I love you too."

Two Months Later:

"Willamina Scotia Hooper, how did you get so old?" Molly asked as she cuddled with her now two year old daughter after a very busy day of partying.

"I grew." Mina said, tiredly, trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes.

"I think you need to go to bed, missy." Molly brushed the curls out of her face. Mina didn't say anything, just shook her head no.

"Say good-night to your mum." Sherlock stood up from the couch.

"I love you my girl." Molly kissed her on the head and handed her up to Sherlock. Mina laid her head on Sherlock's shoulder and Molly was sure she was asleep before they were out of sight.

Molly got up and took some of the garbage to the kitchen, throwing it away. There were a few dirty dishes, but she was going to leave those for tomorrow. She covered the rest of the cake and set it on the counter out of the way.

"She didn't even ask me to read to her." Sherlock walked into the kitchen.

"She was tired!" Molly slid some more food in the fridge. "I was going to leave these till tomorrow, but I just want to get them done." Molly ran the water and started washing the dirty dishes. Sherlock walked over to the table and started messing with papers.

"I've been thinking." He said to Molly's back.

"About what?" She hummed.

"I think that Mina and I should have the same last name." Molly paused as she scrubbed a plate, but continued.

"Oh." Molly finally managed. Sherlock didn't say anything else back to her. She finished with the dishes and dried her hands on the towel before turning to face him.

"In fact, I think the three of us should have the same last name." Sherlock stood holding an open black box. In the middle of the black box sat the most beautiful ring Molly had ever seen. Five diamonds sat down in the band of the ring, the center one the biggest, the two middle ones a little smaller, and the two outer ones the smallest. The band itself had a slight curve in it, making the diamonds look like they were on a ribbon, curved.

"Sherlock?" Molly raised her hands to her mouth, eyes on the ring still.

"Molly Hooper, it would please me greatly if you became Molly Holmes." She looked up into Sherlock's eyes. "Molly, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She rushed. "Yes!" Sherlock pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto Molly's hand. He had barely gotten the ring on her finger before she was kissing him; he had no objections.

"Where are you going?" Sherlock asked sleepily, he looked at the clock, it was 3am.

"I'm just going to go check on Mina." Molly got up and pulled her rob on. She heard Sherlock's feet hit the floor. She walked down the hall to Mina's room and opened the door a crack. She smiled at her daughter, sleeping peacefully. Sherlock joined her a few seconds later, rubbing up behind her.

"Do you think she will be excited?" He asked.

"Oh yes, she will be thrilled." Molly nodded. They watched her sleep for a little bit longer. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes." Sherlock placed his hand on Molly's shoulder and guided her back to their bedroom. "She gets that from her mother."

They crawled back into bed and wrapped themselves into each other.

"Thank you." He said into her hair.

"For what?" She kept her eyes closed, knowing she was on the edge of sleep.

"For kissing me that night."

"It was my pleasure." She rubbed her nose against his chest.

"You're my favorite weakness." He whispered.

* * *

"Do you need anything?" Molly wasn't sure what to do for someone who had just supposedly jumped to his death.

"No." He sat on her couch, holding a cup of tea. She sat down next to him.

She didn't know how to process it. Sherlock Holmes was _dead_. She wasn't going to see him again. She was never going know what it felt like to hold his hand or kiss his lips. His lips. She was going to miss those. They always mesmerized her when he talked. They just seemed so perfect, like they would be nice to kiss

"Molly, what are you doing?" He asked as Molly's lips left his.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry. I. I shouldn't have done that!" She tried to flee to her room, but Sherlock reached out grabbing her arm. He stood up and pulled her to him. He cupped her face and kissed her softly.

"Don't be sorry." He took her hand in his and pulled her behind him to her bedroom. Her brain was still trying to catch up when Sherlock started taking off her clothes. She reached out and started pulling his off too. They made quick work of their clothes.

Sherlock wrapped his arms around Molly's waist and walked backwards, until he was against the bed. He picked Molly up and she wrapped her legs around his bare waist. He sat on the bed, back pressed against the head board. They each took turns kissing each other's faces and necks. All the sucking, biting, licking, and kissing had their lips red and swallow.

Molly pushed her hands against his chest, stopping him. She looked scared, like she was regretting what she was doing.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Molly?"

"I don't want you to do this if this is some pity thing." Molly breathed heavily as she ran her hands over his bare chest taking in everything she could before it was over. He didn't respond but just watched her. "Sherlock?"

"It's not pity." He ran a finger down her spin causing her to shiver. "It's not pity." He whispered again before swinging her under him. He hovered over her, their noses brushing against each other. "I'm going to miss you."

"I thought caring was a weakness?" She still couldn't process everything that was happening.

"It is."


	5. His Goldfish

[First set of conversation I do not own. This is the conversation between Sherlock and Mycroft from TEH after they play operation]

* * *

"I'm living in a world of goldfish."

"Yes, but I've been away for two years. So? Oh, I don't know, I thought perhaps you might have found yourself a…goldfish."

"Change the subject, _now_." Images of Molly and Mina flashed through his head as he tried to stay focused on what Sherlock and he were talking about. Eventually Sherlock was tossing him a hat and he couldn't stop himself from trying to make a fool out of his little brother. "Maybe he just doesn't mind being different. He doesn't necessarily have to be isolated."

"Exactly."

Mycroft blinked a few times, not understanding.

"I'm sorry?"

"He's different, so what? Why would he mind? You're quiet right." Sherlock placed the ridiculous hat on his head. "Why would anyone mind?"

Mycroft opened his mouth, gaping it for a moment before coming up with the proper words to fill the empty space.

"I'm not lonely, Sherlock."

"How would you know?"

* * *

On his way back to work from seeing Sherlock, Mycroft called Molly. They would be having lunch the next day.

* * *

He stared down at his watch and sighed. She was late, again. He had half a mind to leave, but knew that would only hurt her feelings and make her mad. Then he would be nowhere.

"Hi, hi, hi!" She babbled as she got closer to the table. "Sorry, Mina was taking a nap and I got lost in a book and well, we're here now." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Hi Uncle Mikey!" Mina wiggled out of her mother's arms and ran over to give him a hug.

"Mina dear." He hugged her once and put her in the chair next to him. Molly sat down across from him looking a little worried. Mycroft handed Mina some pencils and a piece of paper to draw on before approaching the topic that he knew was eating her away inside.

"You've seen Sherlock."

"Um, yea." She picked at something on her clothes. "He…he looks well?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Yes. I'm sure he does." Mycroft keep an even tone, trying to not think about how else Molly thought Sherlock _looked_.

"I haven't told him." She grabbed the glass of water that was Mycroft's and gulped it down. "Sorry." Her checks flushed as she sat down the glass.

"Quiet all right." He signaled to a waiter. "Two more waters."

"Apple Juice!" Mina pounded her little hands on the table. Mycroft leaned over and covered them with his, stopping the noise.

"And an Apple Juice for her."

"I just want a salad and she will have whatever the closest thing to a chicken lunch is for kids." Molly waved her hand in Mina's direction.

"Salad for me too." Mycroft sighed. After the waiter left, he studied her for a minute. Her hair was in a loose, messy bun on the top of her head. She looked as if she hadn't slept well since he had come back. He had never paid much attention to Molly Hooper before, but if this had been what Sherlock did to her before, how he hated him now.

"I don't know how to tell him." Mycroft snapped his attention back to the present.

"Mhm?"

"It's not like he won't know." Molly ran her hand over Mina's bouncy curls.

"I suppose you're right." He took a sip of his new water. "How is work?" He was tired of talking about Sherlock.

"Good. I guess. People keep dying." Molly laughed at little at her own joke. "Sorry, that was awful." She frowned.

"No. It was funny?" He offered, trying to make her smile again. It was always the brightest part of their meetings (_hanging out?_), her smile.

"Well thank you for trying to find humor in my stupid humor." And there it was. Her smile. "Anyways, I am glad you called. Mina had been complaining that we hadn't seen you in a while." Mina bobbed her head in agreement. "I thought she was going to come out of her skin yesterday when I told her."

"It has been awhile." He couldn't help but let a smile slide across his face as his niece grinned up at him. "Busy with work and all." He turned his attention back to Molly.

As they ate they avoided the topic of Sherlock. Mycroft could tell it never really left Molly's mind, no matter what they talked about. It never really left his either.

"Well, thank you for lunch." There was a lightness in her voice that hadn't been there earlier.

"Of course." He stood as she gathered her things and Mina. She smiled a goodbye and started to turn away.

"Thank you." She said, turning back to him.

"For?" He asked.

"For taking my mind off of things for a little while." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his check.

"Bye Uncle Mickey!" Mina waved over Molly's shoulder as they left.

"Bye Mina." He sat back down. Why did his…_goldfish _have to the mother of his little brother's daughter? He had never bothered to look twice at Molly Hooper before the last two years. Now he found he worried about her and genuinely cared for her safety and happiness. "What is wrong with me?" He rubbed a hand over his face. "Can I get the largest piece of your chocolate cake?" He asked a passing waiter.


	6. She's Mine Too

"Sherlock?" Molly asked nervously.  
"Mhm." He hummed from under the bedsheets.  
"The weekend guy is sick and they really need me to come in for a few hours…I'll be home no later than two." She added.  
"Okay?" He lifted his head from under the sheets.  
"Would you mind? I mean could you?…" Molly stammered. "Never mind. I'll just call Mary." Molly turned away from Sherlock and grabbed her mobile.  
"I can watch Mina." He said as he got out of bed. He grabbed her mobile out of her hand and put it on the bedside table.  
"Oh. Are you sure?" Molly asked softly, wrinkling her nose.  
"Yes." He kissed her forehead. "She is my child too." He reminded her.  
"Yes, but you haven't spent more than 30 minutes alone with her." Molly muttered to herself.

* * *

"Sherlock." Mina hung on his knee while he sat on the couch searching for a new case on his mobile.  
"Willamina." He responded.  
"Lunch?" She asked sweetly. Sherlock checked the time, it was just past 11:15. On a normal weekend Molly usually gave her a snack at 10. He had missed it. How had he missed it?  
"Right." He stood up and pocked his mobile. He went to the fridge and peered in. He didn't cook and was sure he would ruin a sandwich. He shut the door. He was sure there was how to make an acceptable sandwich somewhere in his mind palace, but it would take hours to find something so trivial and by that time Molly would be home and he would be in big trouble.  
He almost rang John and Mary, but he would never convince them to keep that a secret. He was trying to convince Molly he was capable of watching Mina, not relying on others.  
"Mina." She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "We are going out."  
He put her tiny coat on her and grabbed a his.  
"Umm." He had never felt so out of him element. Molly had always gotten Mina ready when they went out anywhere. He didn't think they needed anything else.

Until they were in the cab. Shoes. He had forgotten to put Mina's shoes on her. She hated shoes and always argued with Molly about putting them on, so she was rather happy to let her little feet dance freely as they rode along.  
"Mina, why didn't you say you weren't wearing shoes?"  
"I don't like shooooooeeees!" She sang as she bounced her legs.  
He sighed and cursed himself inwardly. How could he have forgotten shoes?

* * *

"Just you and your daughter?" The all too cheery woman asked. He wanted to correct her, except, Mina was his daughter and for a minute, he was at a loss for words.  
"Yes." He nodded. He followed behind the woman, carrying Mina. Sherlock sat Mina down in her seat and stared at the menu.  
What did Molly order her when they went out?  
"Pizza!" Mina pointed to a picture on the front of the menu. "Please Sherlock?" He looked at the picture and shrugged.  
As soon as their waiter came by for their drink order he asked for a small cheese pizza and two waters.  
"Sherlock."  
"Willamina?" This had become their usual start to conversations.  
"Mummy says I'm her daughter." She tilted her head to the side, her curls falling in her face.  
"Yes." He was wondering where she was going with this.  
"Am I your daughter?" Sherlock felt like a train had just hit him. And wanted to stalk down the woman who had brought it up.  
Molly and he hadn't talked about this. He knew that at some point it was going to come up, but he figured it would be some time after their wedding…maybe when Mina was 20 or something….  
"Here you go." The waiter brought the their waters. Mina's cup was pink with a blue lid and straw.  
"Pink!" Mina giggled as she grabbed the cup to take a drink. It amazed him how fast her attention could be drawn to new things. But he was glad.  
He busied her attention by asking her about playschool. She really did amaze him. She was such a mix of his intellectual processes and Molly's kind hearted actions (not that Molly was an idiot, she was a doctor for goodness sake!). She was going to be an interesting adult.  
When the pizza came he cut up hers up into pieces, remembering (finally he thought), that Mina preferred it this way.

* * *

"CAN WE GET ICECREAM?" Mina almost bounced herself out of Sherlock's arms seeing the van.  
He was sure she was full, but he had realized early on while getting to know Mina, that he knew very little about children. He thought eating and digesting were biological processes. But he had learned that children could live off of eating one piece of bread for three days straight, refusing to eat anything else and the next day eat the daily intake of three grown men.  
"Of course." It was getting harder every day for him to say no to her. He blamed in on her having Molly's eyes and the way her short hair bounced when she got excited.  
Nothing to do with the fact that he was starting to fall in love with his beautiful little daughter.

Sherlock decided to walk home. He answered all of her curious questions as she licked at her ice cream. He was sure several times she was going to lose it leaning as far out of his arms as she could, but she never dropped it inspire of his critical thinking.  
She had finished it by the time they arrived home. He took her tiny coat off and tossed it on the hook. He smiled as she ran over and started playing with her dolls and the skull that she had taken to calling hers.  
He plopped himself on the couch. He and Molly were going to have to talk soon. How were they going to explain this to her. She was so young.  
"Sherlock."  
"Willamina?" He leaned forward, elbows on knees.  
"Thank you for my ice cream!" She kissed him on the cheek, smiling brightly as Molly always did.  
"You are welcome." He ruffled her hair.

* * *

"Hey!" Molly sang as she walked in the door. It was just past two and Sherlock and Mina were asleep on the couch. She smiled at her little family. Sherlock stirred as she set down her keys and took off her coat. He slowly lifted Mina off his lap and settled her back on the couch.  
"Hi." He crossed the living room and gathered Molly in his arms, kissing her soundly.  
"I hate working weekends." She groaned, but kept the smile on her face. "Did you two have fun?"

"Yes, I think we did."


	7. An Update

I wanted to make an update and this seemed the easiest way to do it. For those of you who want more of this series, it is continued in 'Not Yours'. It is a separate piece, but a continuation in the story.


	8. My Frame of Mind for Writing Mina

There have been some people with concerns that I have written Mina too unrealistic. They feel that I have made her far too advanced. So here is what I have to say about all of it, just to clear things up a bit:

I wanted you guys to understand my frame of mind for writing Mina. My oldest nephew reached some of his developmental stages on the earlier side. He actually started walking around 9 and a half months - he was very unstable at first of course, but by the time he was a year, he was completely stable on his feet and was running around all the time. By the time he was a year and a half he was talking in complete sentences and using more difficult words in correct ways. My niece was the same way. She would be in the same room with kids who were older than her who could not talk and she just rambled on and on while making sense too. Because I don't have experience with other kids, I used my memories from them as my go to. I obviously have Mina doing things before my niece or nephew did them, but she is supposed to be advanced and the child of Sherlock Holmes…and its a story, so I can manipulate things a little bit more. When I introduced Mina she is a year and four months old. Because my nephew was only a little older than that when he started using more complicated words in his full sentences, I didn't think it was (too big of) a stretch to have Mina doing so at two months earlier. Again, I'm just trying to give you guys the frame of mind that I wrote Mina in. :D


End file.
